After a loss at Indiana a week ago, the Badgers were able to get back to their road warrior ways. Wisconsin (23-2 overall, 8-1 Big Ten) defeated Penn State (10-12, 1-8) 71-58 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Senior forward Alando Tucker led all scorers with 22 points and, along with junior guard Michael Flowers, was the key to a second-half spurt that created the distance the Badgers needed.
The 22 points by Tucker also gave him 1,999 points, one short of 2,000 for his Wisconsin career. The only other Badger who has surpassed that mark is Michael Finley, who became Wisconsin's all-time leading scorer during the 1994-'95 season when he passed Danny Jones.
After the Badgers were able to create some separation at the end of the first half, the Nittany Lions battled back. Scores by PSU's three leading scorers, sophomore forward Jamelle Cornley, junior forward Geary Claxton and sophomore guard Danny Morrissey, tied the game at 36.
But after the game went back and forth for just over seven minutes, Flowers took control. He knocked down a 3-pointer and then stripped Claxton of the ball and tied him up for a jump ball. With Wisconsin getting the ball, Flowers proceeded to knock down another from long-range, giving him 12 points for the night. PSU was admittedly unprepared.
""It's just certain players who we've scouted ... they're not really threats out there,"" Cornley told the AP. ""So when [Flowers] gets a wide-open shot and he makes it, it's a surprise.""
Flowers then handed the torch to Tucker, who put on a show. He would score 10 of the Badgers' next 12 points, helping Wisconsin to a 18-6 run. At one point he scored on two consecutive three-point plays, one on a beautiful steal and dish from freshman guard Jason Bohannon, who saw serious playing time for the third consecutive game.
The Badgers were helped in large part by their ability to get Claxton in foul trouble. With about 10 and a half minutes remaining in the first period, junior forward Brian Butch took a charge from Claxton. The junior picked up his third foul and sat for the remainder of the first half. However, Claxton was able to still pick up a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
UW, however, could not control Cornley. Last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year scored a team-high 20 points, playing against an array of defenders.
To end the first half, the Badgers went on a 12-3 run before Cornely scored the half's final basket of the period. Senior guard Kammron Taylor sparked the run with a beautiful runner. Taylor finished with 13. However, he shot only 3-of-10 from the field.
To go with his 22 points, Tucker also pulled down eight rebounds, giving him his 700th rebound of his UW career.
The Penn State loss was its eighth in a row.
