The 14th ranked Wisconsin Badgers got 24 points from Nigel Hayes and beat the Green Bay Phoenix 73-59 on Wednesday night at the Kohl Center.
The Badgers improved to 10-2 and will get some time off before facing Florida A & M on Dec. 23. That will be the final non-conference game with the start of Big Ten play against visiting Rutgers on Dec. 27.
The Phoenix fell t0 4-6, their fourth loss in the last five games.
Zak Showalter added 16 points and a career high six steals. He entered the game shooting 28.6% from three point range, but hit four of six from distance and six of 10 overall from the field last night.
The Badgers, after being forced into 26 turnovers by Green Bay last season, cut that number to nine. That’s four below their season average of 13.1. The Badgers also forced Green Bay into 19 turnovers.
Junior forward Karem Kanter scored 18 points to lead Green Bay. The Badgers held freshman guard Trevor Anderson to just three points on one of six shooting. He came in averaging 12.1 points a game.
The Badgers held the Phoenix 19 points below their season average.
Ethan Happ had 14 points and 10 rebounds, his fifth double-double of the season. He also hit his first field goal outside of the paint in his collegiate career. Happ’s first 228 career field goal attempts came inside the lane.
AUDIO: Nathan Happ on his first field goal outside of the lane in his career :12