For the second game in a row, the Badger men's basketball team (3-0 overall) got out to a quick start and did not look back. In Sunday's win over Southern (0-2), the Badgers took it to another level.
Senior forward Alando Tucker led the Badgers in a balanced effort with 16 points as the Badgers torched the Jaguars at the Kohl Center 92-39 in the opening game of the South Padre Invitational. Junior forward Brian Butch chipped in with 12 points and junior guard Michael Flowers hit double digits for the second game in a row with 11.
The Badgers got out to a terrific start, building up a 32-8 lead. During that stretch, the Jaguars went nearly six minutes without a point until sophomore guard Chris Davis' jumper with just over six-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first period.
The Badgers are one of four teams in the South Padre Invitational (Missouri State, Auburn and Oklahoma State) who get two home games. UW's other home game is against Deleware State Tuesday.
Wisconsin was able to hit the 50 mark by the half, as sophomore forward Kevin Gullikson scored a putback at the buzzer of the first half counting for two of his eight points. The team shot over 69 percent in the first half, forcing 20 points off 13 turnovers. For the Badgers, it was hard to not turn the game into a highlight reel-filled contest.
""Some teams, a lot of the time when they get up like that, they start to lose focus and just feel like they can go out there and start taking bad shots,"" said senior guard Kammron Taylor, who was one of three Badgers with eight points. ""But we've been well-coached and we have the experience on the team, where we tell guys that we don't need to force anything, we don't have to please the crowd and run up the score.""
While the Badgers successfully stayed within their game plan, an alley-oop from Flowers to Tucker with 12 minutes remaining in the game brought the Kohl Center faithful to their feet.
Two free throws by Butch with just over nine minutes remaining in the game, pushed the Badger lead to 50. The 53-point victory was the largest Badger win over an opponent since UW defeated Denver by 55 back in December of 1988.
Southern is coming off a 92-37 loss to Georgia, and Jaguars head coach Rob Spivery voiced his frustration after the game.
""That is very disappointing for us to travel the distance that we have traveled so far and not compete,"" Spivery said. ""And I'm not sure if Bo and his team really got anything out of this tonight because of the competitiveness of our team.""
Ryan came to the press conference holding an ice-pack to his neck, claiming he injured himself whipping his neck around after freshman guard Mickey Perry's layup that constituted of, in Ryan's words, ""18 moves in one play.""
""I hurt myself,"" Ryan said. ""Did you guys catch that on tape? I've never seen a move like that.""
Afterwards, Ryan admitted the icepack was a prop.
