Over the weekend, UW men's basketball hosted the UW-Milwaukee Panthers and defeated them for the 10th straight time. The Badgers had five players in double digits en route to their 83-72 victory, bringing their record to 3-0.
Leading UW in scoring and rebounding was sophomore guard Devin Harris, who recorded his second career double-double. Harris had 19 points and 10 rebounds. Also contributing to the Badgers' victory was senior guard Kirk Penney with 15 points and sophomore guard Freddie Owens with 17 points. Rounding out UW's scoring, sophomore forward Mike Wilkinson had 10, freshman forward Alando Tucker had 13, and freshman guard Boo Wade had three.
In the first half, the Badgers established momentum through back-to-back three-pointers by Harris that put UW up 12-6. The Panthers clawed their way back, going on an 8-0 run to bring the game within three with six minutes left in the game. The Badgers, however, continued to put points on the board, including a 14-6 run in the first half that left the halftime score at 37-26.
Playing especially well in the first half, Owens scored 12 points and stepped up for the unusually quiet Penney. Seeing plenty of double- and triple-teams, Penney struggled early on. Tucker also filled in admirably, scoring eight points in the opening half.
The second half was a competitive battle between the two teams. The Badgers opened up their lead early on, going ahead by as many as 23, but turnovers and UW-M senior forward Clay Tucker's stellar play brought the Panthers back. Tucker, who finished with 18 points, hit back-to-back three-pointers to close the gap to five points late in the game.
Despite Tucker and UW-M's best efforts, UW all but closed the game when Owens made a three-pointer and Harris dropped a basket in for two.
\It was just too far away when we made our run,"" UW-M Head Coach Bruce Pearl said. ""We were still down five late and we just couldn't get over the hump.""
The Badgers' physicality and the fatigue it caused among the Panthers played an important role in the result.
""Part of [the reason for the loss] was the fatigue factor. The pressure's gonna work late in the half, late in the game, it takes its toll,"" Pearl said. ""They are much bigger than we are and they were more physical than we were.""
Another reason for UW's victory was its great shooting, both from behind the arc and from the foul line. UW made seven-of-13 from the three point line and shot 81 percent from the line. Late in the game, the Badgers capitalized on the Panthers' foul trouble, hitting six crucial foul shots down the stretch.
After the game Head Coach Bo Ryan pointed out that the Badgers still have room for improvement.
""Are they playing hard, are they getting after it, yes,"" Ryan said. ""But we still have a lot to learn.\
