Beating an in-state rival and staying undefeated would normally be a season highlight. But as an impressive season continues, it’s beginning to feel all the more normal for the Badgers.
No. 8 Wisconsin (10-0) snapped its two-game losing streak in the I-94 rivalry as they beat Marquette (5-4) by a margin of 70-64.
The game got off to a close start, with the Badgers maintaining a close lead the entire first half while holding off early foul trouble.
Junior center Frank Kaminsky and freshman forward Nigel Hayes each had two personal fouls with five minutes left in the first half, forcing head coach Bo Ryan to play junior center Evan Anderson in his first significant minutes of the year.
Anderson then almost immediately committed three fouls and was replaced by senior forward Zach Bohannon, also playing his first significant minutes.
“Evan and Zach did a great job of not letting (the lead) slip away,” head coach Bo Ryan said. “We were not in a hole when we were done those last three, four minutes. We were hanging tough.”
One player who did not have foul trouble was sophomore forward Sam Dekker, who ended the first half’s scoring with a ferocious slam to energize the crowd.
Dekker credited junior guard Traevon Jackson for his aggressive play.
“Trae, with 11 minutes left in the first half, came up to me asked ‘How many shots have you taken today?’ and I said one,” Dekker said. “He says ‘you’re too good for that. You’ve got to be more aggressive. You’ve got to go out and assert yourself.’ After he told me that, I went out and did that.”
The Badgers then widened the gap to a game-high 11 points five minutes into the second half. The Golden Eagles eventually cut the lead to three with two minutes left, but a quick three pointer from junior center Frank Kaminsky put the game away.
Dekker finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, his second career double-double. All five starters again finished in double figures for points.
On the Marquette side, senior forward Jamil Wilson registered a game-high 22 points. No Marquette guards finished with more than four points, and the starting guards combined for just three points.
“Senior guard Jake Thomas shot one ball, I would say that [Wisconsin] said he could shoot,” Marquette head coach Buzz Williams said. “Derrick couldn’t shoot by how they guarded him and he made one basket. That’s not good.”
Junior guard Todd Mayo, Marquette’s third leading scorer, did not play due to a suspension for violating team rules. Williams declined to reveal the exact violation.
The Badgers' overall offensive effort thrived thanks to impeccable ball movement. 14 of the team’s 22 field goals came through assists, with only 6 turnovers. Comparatively, Marquette had 25 field goals, seven assists, and 9 turnovers.
Jackson lead the effort with seven assists and no turnovers.
The team also announced the morning of the game that sophomore guard George Marshall would explore his transfer options. The Chicago native sustained a concussion in practice before the Green Bay game and has not played since.
Wisconsin is now 10-0, the longest opening undefeated stretch for the Badgers since the 1993-'04 season.
