Five observations from Wisconsin's win over Marquette
MADISON -- After holding a five-point lead heading into halftime, Wisconsin turned on the afterburners -- especially from three-point range -- in the second half and blew past Marquette during a 77-61 win on Sunday afternoon inside the Kohl Center.
BadgerBlitz.com breaks down five observations from the interstate victory for head coach Greg Gard and his program.
1. Wisconsin achieved an extremely efficient offensive balance
At the beginning of the season, many wondered who would step up to replace the production of Ethan Happ in the scoring category. Early on, we have seen a variety of players lead the team when needed. And on Sunday, a handful delivered big-time offensive production in a balanced effort.
Six Badgers scored in double figures -- which included all five starters. Not one went over 15 points, but both Brevin Pritzl and Brad Davison hit that mark, while redshirt junior Aleem Ford tallied 12. The trio of D'Mitrik Trice, Kobe King and Nate Reuvers contributed 10 points each in the win.
Honing in on the second half, those six players scored 40 of 43 points. The team overall made 8-of-14 from three-point range in the second half, another key contributor to the Wisconsin win. Those half-dozen aforementioned Badgers drained at least one shot from downtown in that final frame.
2. Brevin Pritzl can be a presence on the inside and from beyond the arc.
The redshirt senior not only hit double digits in points -- shooting 4-of-6 from the field that included draining three of four three-point opportunities -- but he also recorded his first career double double with 13 rebounds against Marquette (2-1).
What stood out the most, perhaps, came on the offensive end, where Pritzl fought down low and was rewarded with six boards to help create extra opportunities for the Badgers. For that matter, Wisconsin (3-1) overall outscored Marquette, 14-3, in second-chance points.
3. Markus Howard got his, but Wisconsin contained him and the other Golden Eagles in the second half.
The star guard for the Golden Eagles started off hot and finished the first half with 16 points. However, Wisconsin locked down and contained Howard for the final 20 minutes of regulation as he missed all nine shots in that frame -- finishing the contest with 18.
Credit Trice and Davison for locking down Howard, who has displayed the ability to torch opposing teams throughout his collegiate career.
Overall in that game, Howard and Koby McEwen combined for 37 of the Golden Eagles' 61 points. No other Marquette player scored over nine points as the team shot 19-of-51 from the field overall (37.3 percent). That included a chilly 34.6 percent in the final 20 minutes.
4. Wisconsin won the game on the boards, and on the inside in general.
With the assistance of Pritzl's big day, UW out-rebounded Marquette, 37-29, with a 9-5 advantage on the offensive boards. Along with his dozen points, Ford grabbed seven rebounds while King, Davison and true freshman Tyler Wahl came down with three each.
Starting forwards Brendan Bailey and Theo John combined for just two points and six rebounds in the loss for Marquette. Wisconsin dominated with points in the paint by a 24-10 margin.
5. Winning at the free throw line continues for Wisconsin.
In all four games now, Wisconsin has attempted and successfully connected on more free throws than its opponents. On Sunday afternoon, in particular, UW made 18 of 20 from the charity stripe while Marquette connected on 14 of 17.
It is obviously not just the ability to get to the line, but being successful that is making a difference for the Badgers early on in its 3-1 start. Gard's team is shooting 81.7 percent in that category (67 of 82), and four players have reached double digits in attempts through four games. They are led by King (21 attempts), whose ability to attack the rim has been seen in the three games he has played.