This was the performance Badger fans have been waiting more than two and a half years for.
In dominating fashion, sophomore center Brian Butch bullied a Penn State team that plays just two players taller than 6'6', posting a career-high 23 points and 12 rebounds Saturday, as Wisconsin (17-7, 7-4 Big Ten) cruised to a 82-62 road victory over the Nittany Lions in front of 8,587 fans at the Bryce Jordan Center.
'We needed a big road win. I think everyone in the locker room knew that,' said Butch, who made 11 of 15 shots from the field. 'We played well as a team, that is why we got it done.'
Coupled with the foul trouble of junior forward Alando Tucker, who was forced from the game after picking up his third foul with 16 minutes 2 seconds to play, the Badgers were also able to endure a 12-0 first- half run by Penn State (11-11, 3-8) that provided a five-point cushion late in the first half and a 36-34 lead at halftime.
UW turned to their bench and freshman Kevin Gullikson responded with a 15-foot jumper that sparked a 15-5 run, giving Wisconsin a 58-45 lead with just over 11 minutes to play and the Badgers never looked back.
'Alando (nine points, eight rebounds) was great on the bench and in the locker room,' UW coach Bo Ryan said. 'He just wants to be on the left-hand side (of the win-loss column).'
Picking up the scoring in Tucker's absence was junior guard Kammron Taylor, who scored a team-high 24 points, hitting a personal-best six 3-pointers in seven attempts. Junior forward Jason Chappell also finished with six points and a collegiate-high seven assists and nine rebounds, teaming with Butch on the glass to grab 18 offensive rebounds and converting on 22 second-chance points.
'Now we're getting back to Wisconsin basketball,' Taylor said. 'That's trying to get the ball inside. And if that's not there, then guys have to do a good job of spotting up outside.'
The Nittany Lions, which played a match-up zone for the majority of the contest, had problems finding Taylor all afternoon.
'We had a situation where we left them and we're supposed to be face guarding them,' Penn State coach Ed DeChellis said. 'We left him (Taylor) to go run to a non-shooter and that caused him to shoot it.'
The Badgers shot 50 percent on the day, 43.5 percent from three-point range and had 21 assists vs. a season-low five turnovers in their balanced performance.
'All 11 (guys) that were here had each other's back,' Butch said. 'We knew we were in for a long fight and to come out with a win was what we really needed.'
Wisconsin now sits one game behind first-place Iowa in fourth place after losses by Michigan and Michigan State Saturday.
