basketball

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While Happ's triple-double made headlines, UW's backcourt polished off Northwestern

By Jake Nisse | Jan. 26, 2019

How does one record a quiet triple-double?

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Ethan Happ gets another triple-double as Wisconsin defeats Northwestern

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Jan. 26, 2019

Propelled by a euphoric crowd and yet another heroic performance from senior center Ethan Happ, Wisconsin (6-3 Big Ten, 14-6 overall) defeated Northwestern 62-46 (3-6 Big Ten, 12-8 overall) to win their third consecutive game Saturday. Happ scored the third triple-double in school history, his second of the year. In a victory similar to the early season successes, the Badgers took advantage of Happ’s all-around dominance, a strong defensive performance and hot three-point shooting to halt the Wildcats’ two-game winning streak.

The Badgers finished 15-18 last year, an improvement from previous seasons under head coach Jonathan Tsipis. UW will look to improve that record this year starting with their opener Tuesday night.

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Wisconsin's slide stretches to six with 65-59 loss to Penn State

By Jacob Lebowitz | Jan. 25, 2019

Wisconsin (1-7 Big Ten, 10-10 overall) dropped its straight game in a close contest with the Penn State Lady Lions (3-5 Big Ten, 10-9 overall), falling 65-59 to continue a slide that has undone the excitement of the season’s strong start.

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Badgers overcome turnovers, foul trouble to capture key road win over Illinois

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Jan. 24, 2019

Wisconsin triumphed 72-60 over Illinois Wednesday night at the State Farm Center in Champaign to improve to 5-3 in Big Ten play (13-6 overall) — its 14th consecutive win against the Illini (1-7 Big Ten, 5-14 overall). Sophomore forward Nate Reuvers led the way with a career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Illinois seven-footer Giorgi Bezhanishvilli paced the Illini with 20.

Freshman Kobe King has averaged 29 minutes of action in Wisconsin's last two games, and his presence has provided more space for Ethan Happ and the rest of the offense.

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Starter or not, Kobe King is emerging as Wisconsin's offensive X-factor

By Jake Nisse | Jan. 23, 2019

Wisconsin needed a change. The Badgers had just lost at home to Purdue in overtime — their second home loss of the season and third loss in four games.

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Son of a star, freshman Tai Strickland is learning to embrace his family legacy

By Jake Nisse | Jan. 22, 2019

Tai Strickland has always been the son of a household name. His father, Rod Strickland, was a first round draft selection, played 17 seasons in the NBA and ranked seventh all-time in assists when he retired in 2005.

Senior forward Ethan Happ scored his 2000th career point with six minutes left Tuesday night, but the Badgers couldn't find any other offense down the stretch in a loss.

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Morning Madness: Fans storm court as Happ hands No. 2 Michigan first loss in Saturday stunner

By Jake Nisse | Jan. 19, 2019

Forget the deflating losses to Minnesota and Purdue, or the schedule-fillers earlier in the season; Saturday morning was the Kohl Center in its purest form, the Badgers showing up for a big-time rival and feeding off of a raucous mid-winter crowd.

Senior forward Marsha Howard followed up her 1000th career point against Ohio State with a dominant game at home Wednesday night versus Illinois.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Badgers host Gophers as both teams look to halt conference losing streaks

By Jerry Barnett | Jan. 17, 2019

After their third straight loss, the Wisconsin Badgers (1-4 Big Ten, 10-4 overall) look to regroup against a familiar opponent whose season is also in free-fall: the Minnesota Golden Gophers (1-4, 12-4). This will be the second showdown between these two border rivals as they met earlier this season in an ugly 56-74 defeat for Wisconsin.

Despite a strong performance from sophomore forward Nate Reuvers, the Badgers fell short to the Maryland Terrapins.

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Badgers fall to Terrapins 64-60 after another horrible first half

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Jan. 14, 2019

A sense of déjà vu permeated Wisconsin’s (3-3 Big Ten, 11-6 overall) loss to Maryland Monday. Terrapin junior guard Anthony Cowan Jr. scored 21 points and knocked down a dagger three-pointer in the final minute as Maryland (4-1, 15-3) held off a late Wisconsin comeback to win 64-60. Sophomore forward Nate Reuvers led the way for the Badgers with a career-high 18 points.

D'Mitrik Trice played his best game of the season so far, recording 11 points, seven assists and a career-high eight rebounds en route to UW's 88-70 win.

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Badgers fall in overtime to Boilermakers 84-80

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Jan. 11, 2019

In a matchup of bona fide superstars, the Purdue Boilermakers (3-2 Big Ten, 10-6 overall) and junior guard Carsen Edwards bested senior forward Ethan Happ and the Wisconsin Badgers (3-2, 11-5). In need of a win to keep pace in the Big Ten race, the Badgers instead turned in a sloppy performance, falling 84-80 in overtime despite late heroics at the end of regulation. Here are the key takeaways from the disappointing result.

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Four Takeaways: Happ heats up, Trice stays cold as Badgers stop skid with much needed road win over Penn State

By Sebastian van Bastelaer and Jake Nisse | Jan. 6, 2019

After a humiliating home defeat to rival Minnesota three days earlier, No. 22 Wisconsin traveled to Happy Valley to take on a struggling Penn State team, and came away with a 71-52 victory that was just the tonic it needed. The Badgers improved to 3-1 in Big Ten play, (11-4 overall), as the Nittany Lions (0-4 Big Ten, 7-8 overall) posted another listless performance in a rebuilding year.

Senior forward Marsha Howard had 16 points while Imani Lewis put up 18 in Wisconsin's loss to Rutgers Monday night.

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Badgers look to slow Hawkeyes' leading scorer Gustafson, upend losing history against Iowa

By Peyton Kadlecek | Jan. 6, 2019

Wisconsin (1-2 Big Ten, 10-5 overall) looks to bounce back after its second conference loss of the season as it prepares to take on No. 19 Iowa (1-1 Big Ten, 10-3 overall) Monday at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

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Badgers look to get out in transition, finish strong in road trip to Penn State

By Jerry Barnett | Jan. 2, 2019

After outlasting the Purdue Boilermakers (10-5, 1-1) in a 76-69 near-collapse, the Wisconsin Badgers (1-1 Big Ten, 10-4 overall) now face the Penn State Lady Lions (0-2, 7-6) as part of a two-game road trip.

Sophomore guard Brad Davison scored 24 points in Wisconsin's losing effort to Western Kentucky.

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Badgers fall 83-76 on the road against Western Kentucky

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Dec. 29, 2018

After a weeklong break for the holidays, the No. 15 Wisconsin Badgers (2-0 Big Ten, 10-3 overall) traveled to Bowling Green, Kentucky for their final tilt of the calendar year against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-0 C-USA, 7-6 overall). With the backing of a raucous crowd, WKU exposed UW’s rust, triumphing 83-76.

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Happ grabs milestone rebound as Badgers roll over Grambling State 84-53

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Dec. 22, 2018

Oftentimes, the singularity of a veteran player’s greatness can be easily forgotten — it can take major milestones to jolt fans from their complacency and recognize a remarkable career.

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Coming off a loss, Badgers find confidence in blowout of Savannah State

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Dec. 13, 2018

After a dispiriting letdown in the spring, the Wisconsin men’s basketball team has spent the last two months on a redemption tour. Eager to prove that last year’s failures were merely an anomaly, they have begun their redemption tour with spirited performances against marquee opponents.

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Badgers ride record-breaking first half to dominant win against overmatched Savannah State

By Cameron Lane-Flehinger | Dec. 13, 2018

Facing an opponent that entered the Kohl Center with the nation’s worst scoring defense and had just been gashed for 139 points in its last game, Wisconsin’s Thursday-night matchup with Savannah State looked to be a chance for the Badgers to flex their offensive muscles.

Senior forward Marsha Howard became the 26th Badger to reach 1000 points, but her ultimate goal is an NIT appearance for Wisconsin.

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Badgers post season highs for scoring, margin of victory in dominant win over Chicago State

By Jerry Barnett | Dec. 12, 2018

Wisconsin (0-0 Big Ten, 8-3 overall) rolled to a breezy 85-38 victory over the still-winless Chicago State Cougars (0-0 WAC, 0-9) Wednesday night. The Badgers strengthened their all-time record against Chicago State to 7-0 in the two teams’ first matchup in over 26 years.

Sophomore guard Kobe King was one of several Wisconsin players heavily recruited by Marquette coming out of high school, but stayed committed to the Badgers.

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On and off the court, connections run deep in Wisconsin-Marquette rivalry

By Sebastian van Bastelaer | Dec. 6, 2018

The long-running rivalry between Wisconsin and Marquette is ever-present in America’s Dairyland. It has caused friendships to fracture. Parents and siblings root for the younger members of the family to spurn one university or the other; sometimes they even watch, with feigned horror, as their loved ones make the “wrong” choice. People in (slightly) long-distance relationships are forced to weather the tensions that accompany these divided loyalties.

Senior forward Khalil Iverson scored two key baskets to start the first half and played a jack-of-all-trades role in the win over Rutgers.

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Wisconsin overcomes first-half struggles once again to put away Rutgers

By Jake Nisse | Dec. 3, 2018

For the fourth straight game, the Badgers (2-0 Big Ten, 8-1 overall) entered the second half without a lead. And yet, after No. 12 Wisconsin’s 69-64 win over Rutgers (0-2, 5-3), just one of those games in question has ended in a loss. Call the Badgers a second-half team if you want, head coach Greg Gard would probably just call them winners.