Badgers Eek Out Road Win in Milwaukee

MILWAUKEE, Wis.-Leading by 17 points with just over 15 minutes left, it seemed as if Wisconsin men’s basketball would have no trouble picking up its first true road win of the young season. But after UW-Milwaukee (2-0 Horizon, 8-3 overall) responded with a 21-4 run over the next ten minutes, the Badgers immediately had a fight on their hands. But thanks in large part to a clutch three-pointer in the final minute made by senior guard Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin (9-2 overall) got out of Milwaukee with a 60-54 victory.

Playing in front of a crowd of 10,143 at US Cellular Arena, the largest crowd in UW-M history, it looked for much of the night as if UW was going to run away with a rout. Junior forward Ryan Evans gave the Badgers a big lift throughout the first half and early in the 2^nd, scoring a career-high 16 points in just the first 26 minutes of the game.

“{Evans} did a really good job of taking his assignments and sticking to them,” UW head coach Bo Ryan said. “He was also able to get some buckets finished underneath and to get to the free throw line…defensively he has been doing a good job {all season} and offensively, same thing.”

But as Evans began to struggle offensively, Panther Senior forward Tony Meier took center stage, leading a sudden charge that took Tuesday’s game from laugher to dual in a matter of minutes. Meier finished the game with a team-high 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, hitting two clutch three-point shots during the Panther run before going cold as UW-M faded down stretch.

Tuesday night was all about runs. Wisconsin got off to a hot start with a 14-2 run in the first half that gave them a 22-8 lead in the first half. Ultimately, the cushion that early run gave UW allowed them to withstand a furious comeback by the Panthers that had US Cellular Arena rocking late in the 2^nd half.

Having survived the test Milwaukee gave them, the Badgers are now able to use the experience gained Tuesday night as they head into Big Ten play.

“It was a good road test for us to play in an environment like this,” junior forward Jared Berggren said. “To survive the run they made, its good preparation for what is to come in the Big Ten season and the rest of the year.”

After missing a late shot that could have gotten the Badgers right back in the game against North Carolina, Taylor’s last-minute heroics were a welcome sight for a Badger team desperately needing their star point guard to recover from his recent slump. Giving a discernible yell after the bucket, it was clear Taylor understood the enormity of the shot, one that gave UW a cushion they ultimately rode to the six-point win.

“I felt like he backed off a bit so I took the shot,” Taylor said. “I was just fortunate to have it go down.”

Evans recalled the shot a bit differently, noting that he saw something in Taylor that has been missed over the past few weeks.

“To tell you the truth, I knew it was going in…” Evans said. “There’s a look in his eye when you know Jordan is going to make the shot.”

With their first road victory now in hand, the Badgers now look forward to the homestretch of the non-conference schedule. Just two games and 14 days remain before the Big Ten opener in Lincoln, Nebraska on December 27^th. 

Badgers Set for Road Test in Milwaukee

Having seemingly gotten back on their feet after two consecutive losses to top-10 teams North Carolina and Marquette, #14/15 Wisconsin (8-2, 0-0 Big Ten) now faces its final road test of the non-conference schedule as they visit in-state rival UW-Milwaukee (8-2, 2-0 Horizon) on Tuesday night.

Fresh off of a win over UNLV on Saturday, arguably their best victory of the young season, the Badgers now set out to prove that they can win on the road. Although Wisconsin is 27-1 all-time against Milwaukee and a perfect 10-0 under head coach Bo Ryan, the Panthers have a tournament-ready team this season, having already taken down Big East member DePaul in non-conference play.

“Milwaukee is a really, really good team…” UW junior forward Mike Bruesewitz said Sunday. “They haven’t lost at home yet so they are going to be a real challenge for us.”

One of the challenges in facing the Panthers this season is that they don’t really have a stand out scorer. While leading scorer Kaylon Williams is averaging just 12.8 points per contest, Milwaukee has three players averaging in double figures, with another three clocking in above the 8.5 point per game mark as well. Fighting injuries throughout the season, the Panthers have done a remarkable job of replacing lost production while playing all ten games without at least one projected starter.

While Wisconsin is a staggering 158-12 at home under coach Ryan, once they leave the Kohl Center they are a modest 55-57. After finishing last season just 5-6 in true road games, winning on the road immediately became a point of emphasis heading into the 2011-2012 campaign. Already having lost their first road test at #5 North Carolina, the Badgers desperately need to pick up a win on their opponent’s home floor, if for no other reason than to build confidence heading into the demanding Big Ten schedule.

“To go into their place and get a win would be huge against a good team…” sophomore guard Josh Gasser said. “A road win is a road win, its always good to have one under your belt.”

From day 1, the focus this season has been on the play of a trio of juniors in the backcourt. While Jared Berggren has been a constant presence on the floor for UW, the play of fellow Bruesewitz and Ryan Evans has fluctuated wildly along the spectrum, great at times and anything but at others.

Both had been struggling of late before resurgent performances in Saturday’s win. Bruesewitz picked up a career-high 10 rebounds to lead the way for the Badgers, with Evans adding 9 for a career-high of his own. Their presence on the glass, something missing during the lull UW seemed to hit at the beginning of the month, makes Wisconsin much more dangerous no matter where they play.

“We’ve got so many guys who can score…” Gasser said. “We just try to do the little things and when our chances are open, knock them down and make some plays.”

With finals just a week away and Big Ten play not far behind, the mental challenge of staying in the moment might be the toughest task to handle as the Badgers try to take care of business in Milwaukee.

“We do a good job as a team to make sure that we get that stuff done off the court,” sophomore guard Ben Brust said. “When we are on the court, you’ve got to be focused all the time.”

“This week is going to be a little bit of a struggle…” Bruesewitz admitted. “But that is why you are a Division 1 athlete.”