By Andrew SimonThe Daily Northwestern
MADISON, Wisc. – Wisconsin had every reason to blow away Northwestern and turn Saturday’s game into a laugher.
The Badgers were ranked second in the nation and held an 18-game winning streak at the Kohl Center. They hadn’t lost to the Wildcats in Madison since 1996 and were coming off their first Big Ten loss of the season Wednesday at Indiana.
Although Wisconsin appeared to put the game away with a 17-4 run at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half, freshman Kevin Coble carried NU back into contention. But after the Cats’ 14-0 run cut their deficit to 10 with about three minutes left, the Badgers (22-2, 8-1 Big Ten) finally silenced the Cats (11-11, 1-8), 69-52.
NU’s charge began when it trailed 62-38 with a little more than eight minutes left in the game. Fewer than five minutes later, the score stood at 62-52.
“We grabbed some rebounds, which we were struggling with earlier in the game,” senior Tim Doyle said. “They went cold, which I think helped. They missed four or five in a row, and we came up with the balls and put the ball in the basket. I think the run at the end of the game was very important.”
Coble had scored 12 of NU’s 19 second-half points up to that juncture, and his layup off a pass from sophomore Craig Moore started the 14-point swing. He also knocked down a 3-pointer, dished out two assists and recorded a steal during the run.
Coble’s 24 points led all players. In 38 minutes, the Cats’ leading scorer and rebounder made 10 of 17 shots, grabbed seven boards, and added four assists and three steals. On multiple occasions, Coble took advantage of Wisconsin’s man-to-man defense by beating his defender one-one-one.
“Coble’s more aggressive offensively,” Wisconsin senior Alando Tucker said. “He’s their best player. He was hurt the first game they played us. When he’s in there, they look to use him off the dribble and attack our (big guys), because in most defenses, the power forward or the center’s not going to guard him.”
Despite NU’s comeback, it was too little, too late. Wisconsin came out of a media timeout with three minutes to play and scored the last seven points of the game.
Like Coble did for the Cats, Tucker led the Badgers in scoring and rebounding, with 20 points and nine boards. He scored nine points during Wisconsin’s 17-4 spurt that began with less than two minutes to play in the first period, showing a knack for finishing plays in the paint.
“He’s just a great athlete and a great basketball player,” Coble said. “It’s fun to play against guys like that. That’s why I’m here. I want to play against the best in the country.”
Senior Kammron Taylor and junior Michael Flowers complimented Tucker’s inside game with solid outside shooting. The two combined to make 5 of 9 3-pointers and scored 27 points.
Carmody altered his usual guard rotation, starting junior Jason Okrzesik while giving Moore only 10 minutes in an effort to “shake him up a little bit.” He also played Jeremy Nash a season-high 25 minutes and the freshman chipped in four points, two rebounds and two assists.
“Okrzesik didn’t score, but I just like his zest out there,” Carmody said. “And I’ve got to get Nash some more time, because he’s aggressive. He’s trying to figure it out a little bit, but he’s active on defense.”
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