The final score (70-66) was closer than the game. The 11th ranked Wisconsin Badgers were in control for most of the game, a win over their state rivals, the 17th ranked Marquette Golden Eagles .
Alando Tucker started the day averaging 19.3 points a game and finished with 28 in the win over Marquette. Tom Crean said his team didn't pressure the ball and allowed Wisconsin to run its offense too easily. The Badgers subsequently shot 50.9% from the field.
Marquette's shooting didn't help either. They hit just 3 of 18 from three point range (16.7%) and their shot selection was questionable much of the day.
Until Saturday, the home team had won the last five games in the series. The Badgers ended that streak, in front of a record 19,020 fans at the Bradley Center.
Marquette's guards are very quick and athletic, but they have to become better shooters, and the Golden Eagles will need to get better in the post.
On the Badgers side, I thought they got an encouraging performance from reserve guard Trevon Hughes who played 18 minutes and never looked outmatched. Michael Flowers was his usual rock solid self, matching up against Marquette's Dominic James and holding him down until the final minutes. Joe Krabbenhoft scored 5-points for the Badgers. That stat won't knock your socks off, but everything else that he does, makes a huge difference. Krabbenhoft is such a smart player that hustles all the time. Any coach would love to have this guy on their team. And last but not least, Marcus Landry had his best performance of the season and should have earned a lot more minutes down the road. Landry scored 11 points and blocked 4 shots on the other end to help in the victory.
The future is bright for the Badgers (9-1). What about Marquette? They've already beaten Duke. That tells you they're not bad either. The Golden Eagles were beaten by a better Badger team, but Tom Crean's young squad will have plenty of good days ahead.