Beyond the Box: Wisconsin 60, Milwaukee 54
December 14, 2011 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2011
BY BRIAN MASON
UW Athletic Communications
Star of the Game
On their way to a 60-54 win, the Badgers managed to withstand a second-half flurry from Milwaukee in large part because of a double-digit cushion they built heading into halftime. Ryan Evans was a major reason for the Badgers’ ability to pull away early, pouring in 10 of his career-high 16 points in the first half. He went 4-for-6 from the field in the first period on his way to a 5-for-8 shooting performance -- while also connecting on 6 of 7 from the free-throw line. Evans also finished with eight rebounds and a pair of blocks in a career-high 36 minutes of action.
Play of the Game
It was vintage Jordan Taylor, and it couldn’t have come at a better time for the Badgers. Up just three points, at 55-52, Wisconsin was still trying to stave off a Panthers rally as the clock ticked below one minute to play. With the shot clock ticking down in a one-possession game, Taylor controlled the ball at the top of the key with Ryan Allen defending. The clock continued to tick, and Taylor -- two steps beyond the 3-point arc -- loaded up, fired and drilled a clutch trey from the top of the key that gave UW a six-point edge with just 41 seconds to go.
Turning Point of the Game
A 3-pointer -- three of them, actually -- sparked Milwaukee’s game-changing rally in the second half, but another triple effectively ended it. Three straight treys from Tony Meier, Evan Richard and Meier again sparked the Panthers’ comeback, which trimmed a 17-point Wisconsin lead all the way down to the game’s second tie at 48-48 less than 10 minutes later. With the score knotted and 4:43 to play, Jared Berggren snapped the 21-4 Milwaukee run by burying a trey from the top of the key that staked the Badgers to a 51-48 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Stat of the Game
Games are often won or lost at the free throw line, and a disparity at the stripe tied directly into Tuesday’s result. The Badgers certainly helped their cause at the charity stripe by connecting on 16 of 20 attempts (80 percent). Milwaukee, on the other hand, shot just 7 of 17 from the line (41.2) in a game decided by six points.
