Saturday, March 20, 2010
Associated Press
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.
Slow and plodding early, fast and frantic late. No matter the tempo, Wisconsin stayed poised against pesky Wofford.
It’s exactly what coach Bo Ryan expected from his team, which has plenty of NCAA tournament experience.
And in the end, the Badgers did exactly what they do best — play defense.
Jon Leuer followed a huge jump shot with an even more critical steal on the other end, and the fourth-seeded Badgers eked out an ugly 53-49 win over the 13th-seeded Terriers in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday.
Leuer finished with 20 points, including two free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining that sealed the victory, and sent the Badgers into the second round for the fourth consecutive year. They will play No. 12 seed Cornell in the East Region on Sunday.
Trevon Hughes added 19 points for Wisconsin, including 12 of the team’s first 21.
The Badgers (24-8) slowed it down early, playing their typical crawling style, then turned things up when the Terriers (26-9) opened the second half with a flurry of points.
Jamar Diggs scored 11 of his 13 points in the first five minutes after the break, helping Wofford overcome an eight-point deficit. The Terriers hit their first eight baskets to start the second and took a 38-37 lead.
But Wisconsin didn’t panic. Ryan’s squad simply ratcheted up its defense down the stretch.
Hughes picked Diggs’ pocket near midcourt and turned it into a layup on the other end with 1:54 remaining. Terry Martin missed the first of two free throws for Wofford.
Hughes dribbled into the lane and kicked it out to Leuer, who drained a shot from the corner just inside the 3-point line. That put Wisconsin up 51-49.
But it got even better for the Badgers a few seconds later. Cameron Rundles tried to secure a pass in the corner, but Leuer got his hand on the ball and tipped it out of bounds. Officials conferred before deciding Rundles touched it last.
Instead of getting a shot, Wofford was forced to foul with 4.2 seconds left. Leuer hit both free throws to seal the victory.