The Badgers (10-1) aced the easiest final they will see all week Saturday in the Kohl Center, an 86-43 beatdown of Nicholls State (1-5).
This was a matchup that was basically over from the start, as the Badgers had taken an 11-2 lead by the first media timeout with 15:59 remaining in the first half. 14 minutes in, Wisconsin led 37-6. At half, 47-15, and shooting 70.4 percent. The Badgers could have missed every shot of the second half and still come away with the victory.
Five UW players finished in double digits with points, led by a resurgent Sam Dekker’s 17 on 6-of-10 shooting. The junior forward continues to look better, mainly more aggressive, since his disappearance against Duke due to a nagging ankle injury. When asked about the injury, Dekker seemed ready to move on.
“Haven’t got that question in the past few weeks. It’s getting better, it’s the best it’s been in a while,” Dekker said. “I like playing aggressive, I like making things happen. It’s what our team expects out of me, our coach expects out of me and I expect out of myself. I’m just going to play my game when I get out there and it feels pretty good.”
There’s not much to say on the ramifications of this matchup due to the chasm in ability between the teams. Wisconsin attacked with abandon once it reached its commanding lead, which means it attacked with abandon from the second minute. The Badgers finished with 35 free throw attempts and forced 21 turnovers. They had the advantage in pretty much any stat implying aggressive play. A 36-26 advantage in points in the paint. 19-9 in points off turnovers. 17-6 in second chance points. The Badgers’ length could not be held off.
“I thought we executed better today than we have all season, they’re just so long,” said Nicholls State head coach J.P. Piper. “It’s not even that they’re blocking shots. They’re physical, they’re athletic, they alter everything. We looked exhausted by the time we got to the shot. It was so hard to get to a point where we could catch and shoot. We looked like we had just finished running a race.”
Funnily enough, it will be a low-light that is most remembered from this game: Redshirt senior forward Duje Dukan’s bizarre missed open dunk that will almost certainly be seen on Sportscenter’s Not Top 10. It was ridiculous to the point that half the bench had to hide their faces in towels lest they openly burst out laughing.
“I don’t even know what happened, but it was hilarious. He actually went downwards, he didn’t get off the ground. That was incredible to see,” Dekker said, failing to hold back chuckles. “My knee has buckled before when I try to dunk and I still get near the rim, but he just went nowhere.”
“The best part was definitely him trying to fake like he was hurt afterwards,” redshirt senior guard Josh Gasser added, as the rest of the press room burst in laughter.
Overall, it was a game that bruised Nicholls State’s, and Dukan’s, pride. The team will move on from that to a nine-day break for final exams, resuming play when they travel to Berkeley, California to take on California.
