Badgers report: Getting inside
With a victory on Saturday at Northwestern, Wisconsin will clinch the outright Big Ten title and the senior class will become the first Badgers to win 100 games.
In the penthouse at 15-2 in the conference standings, Wisconsin holds a one-game lead over Purdue and Indiana. The cellar-dwelling Wildcats (8-20, 1-16) have dropped nine of their last 10 games this season and lost to the Badgers by 12 on Jan. 19.
Wisconsin is 9-2 on the road and would tie the school record of 10 road victories set by the 1915-16 squad.
Seniors Brian Butch, Michael Flowers, Greg Stiemsma and Tanner Bronson, who have already been a part of a school-record 48 Big Ten wins over the past four seasons, enter the regular-season finale with an overall record of 99-31.
Defensive dominance and offensive balance have been the keys to their success. The Badgers lead the nation in scoring defense (54.4 points per game) and are the only Big Ten team with four players averaging double figures in scoring in league play.
They started the conference season with five different players scoring at least 20 points in the first five games, a first in Wisconsin history. Four different players have paced the Badgers in scoring in their last five games.
"This class has done an unbelievable job of coming together collectively," head coach Bo Ryan said. "We said early in the year that for the team to win, it's got to be done by numbers, by the group, and they've done that to this point. We'll see what happens with the rest of the season."
WISCONSIN 77, PENN STATE 41: The Badgers claimed at least a share of their first Big Ten regular-season crown since 2003 with a sensational Senior Night performance on Wednesday in Madison.
Junior Marcus Landry scored a game-high 15 points and seniors Brian Butch (12) and Greg Stiemsma (10) also reached double digits for No. 10 Wisconsin (25-4, 15-2), which won its sixth consecutive contest. The Badgers have won 11 straight against the Nittany Lions in Madison and eight straight overall.
The nation's stingiest defense limited Penn State (14-15, 6-11) to 29.6 percent shooting from the field (16-of-54) and 24 percent (6-of-25) from 3-point distance. The score was 34-17 at halftime and 48-20 with about 14 minutes remaining.
Wisconsin's two other seniors got in on the act, with Michael Flowers contributing nine assists, eight rebounds and five points and reserve Tanner Bronson drilling a 3-pointer for his first bucket since Nov. 16.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
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