Beyond the Box: Wisconsin 70, Green Bay 56
December 13, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2010
Star of the Game
This space in Beyond the Box has been dominated this season by Jon Leuer, Jordan Taylor and Keaton Nankivil, but tonight’s honor goes to Mike Bruesewitz. The sophomore forward poured in a career-high 18 points, besting his old mark of 11 set earlier this year against Prairie View A&M. Bruesewitz hit 6-of-8 shots, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range. In addition, he was an efficient 4-for-5 at the free throw line. To round out his night, the St. Paul, Minn., native posted four rebounds and a block.
Play of the Game
The Badgers ended the first half on a 21-8 run, turning a one-point deficit into a 12-point halftime lead. The exclamation mark of the run came on a highlight-reel dunk by Leuer. The senior took a pass on the wing right as Green Bay’s Alec Brown closed out on him. Leuer blew past Brown, went baseline and reversed the dunk on the other side of the rim with one hand. The reverse slam brought the crowd to its feet and put Wisconsin up 31-19 with 59 seconds left.
Turning Point of the Game
Green Bay held its first and only lead of the game when it went ahead 13-12 with 10:53 left in the first half. The Wisconsin defense stiffened, though, yielding just eight points over the remainder of the frame to close on a 21-8 run. The Phoenix never really threatened the rest of the way, getting only as close as eight points with just 47 seconds left. Leuer and Bruesewitz were the keys to the run, as each put in seven points during the spurt. On the defensive side, the Badgers forced four turnovers and held the Phoenix to just three field goals on 12 attempts during the run.
Stat of the Game
The Badger frontcourt was the key to Monday night’s victory, as the trio of Leuer, Bruesewitz and Nankivil combined for 56 points to match the output of the entire Green Bay squad. Leuer led all scorers with 22 points, while Bruesewitz added a career-best 18 and Nankivil chipped in with 16. The players were efficient too, converting 17-of-26 shots (65.4 percent), including 9-of-13 on 3-pointers (69.2 percent). Leuer added a team-high eight rebounds, while Nankivil was strong on the defensive end with four blocks.
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Karl Anderson
UW Athletic Communications
