Facing their toughest test yet this season, the UW men's basketball team held off a record 3-point shooting attack to beat Winthrop 82-79 in overtime Monday night. The Eagles set a Wisconsin-opponent record by hitting 15 threes on the Badgers. Senior guard Torrell Martin led the way, as he became the second player in as many games to tie the Kohl Center mark of seven 3-pointers in a game.
""Every time I step on the court I feel great shooting the ball, so tonight was no different,"" Martin, who had a game-high 31 points hitting 11-of-18 shots from the field, said after the game.
""Torrell Martin, I thought, was the best player on the floor tonight,"" Winthrop head coach Gregg Marshall said. ""He was just terrific.""
Despite the record night, Martin will most likely look back on the night with disappointment over missing what would have been the game winning shot in overtime. UW junior guard Michael Flowers, who was guarding Martin on the attempted buzzer-beater, talked about the play after the game.
""I thought it was going in,"" Flowers said. ""But, you know, they lived and died by the 3-pointer tonight and they died on that shot.""
Still, Wisconsin gave credit to the Eagles for their performance beyond the arc, shooting 60 percent from 3-point range.
""Everything [Martin] put up went in,"" senior forward Alando Tucker said. ""You look at the three pointers they made, it was like throwing a rock in the ocean—they were just falling.""
A coming out party
While Martin excelled for the Eagles, it was Flowers who saved the day for Wisconsin with arguably his best performance in a Badger uniform. The junior came through with 21 points, including the game-tying bucket with 11 seconds remaining in regulation that forced overtime.
""I was waiting for this to come out and this was the night,"" Tucker said about Flowers after the game. ""We needed everything he gave us on defense, offense, making big shots, making big plays. That's what he's capable of doing but this was his coming out night.""
Down 67-65 with 54 seconds remaining in regulation, Wisconsin missed three shots on one possession, but it was Flowers who got two offensive rebounds on those misses and converted on a put-back off the third miss.
""[Wisconsin] kept coming up with it. And credit to them ... they got the shot they needed and finally put it in the basket."" Marshall said.
Flowers had a few other plays worthy to make the post-game highlight show, but one of the more creative shots came in the first half when Flowers converted on a baseline floater in which he was forced to shoot from behind the backboard.
""That shot, I practice that when I play Horse or whatever,"" Flowers said. ""But as soon as the ball left my hand I was like, ‘Coach is going to sub me.'""
Flowers and the Badgers will now turn their attention to Marquette, who is coming off an upset-loss to giant-killer North Dakota State.
