In the season's first road match, the Wisconsin men's basketball team ran into a buzz in the form of UNLV junior guard Chace Stanback. In a game that was back and forth throughout, Stanback's 25 points put the Rebels on top 68-65 as the final buzzer sounded at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.
While Wisconsin once again had the rebounding advantage, the miscues that were but a side note in the first two games became crucial, as UNLV took advantage of 15 UW turnovers and converted them into 13 points.
""We had some mental breakdowns tonight that cost us,"" junior guard Jordan Taylor said after the game. ""We had something like 15 turnovers and you can't do that against a good team on the road, especially when they convert them into points.""
Despite missing two crucial shots in the final minute of play, Taylor kept the Badgers in the game with the likes of seniors Keaton Nankivil, sophomore Mike Bruesewitz and senior Jon Leuer in foul trouble. Taylor's 19 points led the way for UW, while the junior added three rebounds and three assists to complement the scoring performance.
The Runnin' Rebels became the first team this season to largely neutralize senior Leuer. After averaging 23 points in the first two games, UNLV held the preseason all-Big Ten forward to just 10 points on three of 11 shooting, also benefiting from Leuer only playing 26 minutes due to foul trouble.
Leuer wasn't alone in his poor shooting night. In a performance reminiscent of last year's NCAA tournament exit against Cornell, the Badgers couldn't seem to find the bottom of the net the entire night. Wisconsin shot just over 36 percent as a team, with the starting five just managing a 29 percent effort.
Despite Wisconsin's struggles, the game was close for nearly the entire four quarters. With less than a minute left, Stanback's midrange jumper gave UNLV a 66-65 lead. After Taylor missed an attempt, the Badgers remained hopeful after UNLV junior Oscar Bellfield missed the front end of a 1-1.
However, Leuer could not hit his chance at the lead on the next possession, and UNLV stole the ensuing inbound pass with less than 10 seconds left. After UNLV converted two free throws, Taylor's last-ditch attempt at a tying three clanked off the rim and sent the Badgers home without the victory they had flown out west to claim.
Now 2-1, Wisconsin faces an opportunity to put this loss behind them as they head down to Orlando to begin the Old Spice Classic Thursday against Manhattan. With the likes of California, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Temple and Boston College, the tournament will give UW three chances to shed the remaining cobwebs.
Although this first loss of the young season is no doubt a disappointment, especially given the chances Wisconsin had to scratch out a victory, three wins and a tournament title this weekend in Orlando should be able to wipe away these regrets.
-UWBadgers.com contributed to this report.
