MADISON - After a loss to St. Mary’s to start the regular season, Greg Gard’s squad got a bounce-back victory with a 65-52 win over a scrappy Eastern Illinois team Friday evening.
The Badgers led for most of this match-up, but EIU gave the Kohl Center crowd some suspense. The Panthers hung around for most of the game before bowing out of the contest towards the end of the second half.
BadgerBlitz.com’s “Stat Pack” series takes a look at the numbers to see how UW improved to 1-1 on the young season.
Nate Reuvers fills the stat sheet
Eastern Illinois was unable to enjoy its bus ride home thanks in large to Nate Reuvers’ play. The junior was solid from tip to the buzzer for the Badgers, as he scored 14 points on 4-of-8 shooting and went 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. The points were impressive, but Reuvers recorded nine total blocks, which tied the school record and left him just one short of a triple-double. Reuvers also recorded a new career high with 14 rebounds, surpassing his previous mark of 10, according to a UW release.
Trevor Anderson plays a key role
When D’Mitrik Trice was forced to leave the game due to a nasty cut on his forehead, Trevor Anderson stepped up for the Badgers. In 14 minutes of playing time, Anderson didn’t turn the ball over and Wisconsin was plus-11 points when he was on the floor. Anderson tallied just one point, but his impact was clear.
Kobe King dominates
Kobe King scored a career-high 18 points and a personal-best six rebounds in the Badgers' win. The redshirt sophomore was good at drawing contact from Panthers defenders, as he shot 10 free throws, converting on eight.
Wisconsin struggles to hit 3s
It's an issue that has plagued Wisconsin for a while now, and Friday’s effort didn’t do much to put the problem to rest. Wisconsin threw up 18 three-point attempts and only three of them found nylon. In the post-game press conference, guard Brad Davison insisted that UW’s shooting percentage from three is bound to rise.
“Averages average out," Davison said. "We know how well we can shoot in practice when we are in the gym by ourselves. We were a little shaky the first two games and that will average out over the next few."
Aleem Ford shows off versatility
Aleem Ford is showing he is no longer just a three-point marksman. In Wisconsin’s first win of the 2019-20 season, Ford reached double-figures for the 10th time in his career. The 6-foot-8 forward made a 3, got to the foul stripe, grabbed four rebounds and the Badgers were plus-12 points when he on the floor. Ford will need to continue to stuff the stat sheet for Wisconsin as the season progresses.
