The No. 15 Badgers (6-1 Big Ten, 17-3 overall) struggled to put away a pesky Penn State (3-5, 11-10) team in the first half and went into the break with a slim 3-point lead. They would burst out of the locker room in the second, opening the period with an 11-2 run that was sparked by redshirt sophomore forward Ethan Happ.
After scoring seven points in the first half, Happ matched that figure in the first four minutes of the second half, and the Badgers never looked back. They would ultimately extend the lead as high as 27 before winning the game, 82-55.
Happ finished the night with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals, a mild night by his standards, but it was his play that woke UW up. Inspired by his play, the Badgers outscored the Nittany Lions 46-22 in the second half.
Once Happ got the team going, senior guard Bronson Koenig took over. He led the way for the Badgers with 20 points, shooting 8-of-13 from the floor and 4-of-9 from beyond the arc.
After nearly missing the previous game in Minneapolis, senior forward Vitto Brown pitched in a strong effort, recording 16 points and six rebounds. Senior forward Nigel Hayes had a quiet offensive night, scoring just nine points on 2-of-7 shooting, but added eight rebounds and four assists.
Sophomore forward Khalil Iverson treated the Kohl Center with a thunderous two-handed alley oop on a baseline out-of-bounds play, and added a 3-pointer to boot.
The Badgers now head to Madison Square Garden to face Rutgers for the second time this season Saturday.
