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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHICAGO (AP) -- Belong in the NCAA field of 64? The Wisconsin
Badgers thought so before the Big Ten tournament even started. Now,
they're convinced.
|  | | Wisconsin's Mark Vershaw looks for someone to catch his pass. |
"When you play like we do, you think some times people look for
excuses to keep you out. We took on a bit of a siege mentality, and
today was the first day I think I felt somewhat relaxed," Badgers
coach Dick Bennett said after his defensive-oriented team beat Purdue (No. 21 ESPN/USA Today, No. 22 AP) 78-66 Friday night in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
It was a tense game, full of physical and sometimes bloody play.
A Friday night floor-burn special that had both Bennett and Purdue
coach Gene Keady pacing the sidelines, ranting and raving at
officials and players.
Mark Vershaw scored 22 points as the Badgers (18-12) extended
their season-best win streak to five games. They'll face Michigan
State in the semifinals.
Wisconsin got its final field goal with 2:45 left, then put the
victory away by hitting 10 of 14 free throws in the final 1:55 -- six by Vershaw.
There were 49 fouls and 63 free throws in the 2-hour, 14-minute
game.
At one point, after the Badgers were called for four fouls in 24
seconds, Bennett threw his fists down in disgust and screamed
across the floor in the direction of tournament manager and head of
officials Rich Falk: "You can't put guys like that on the floor,"
in apparent reference to the officials.
"In the heat of the game, you say a lot of things. I was
frustrated at the time and I vented my frustrations," Bennett
said.
"I was baying at the moon. It just so happens the commissioner
(of officials) was across the way."
How rough was it? With 8:55 left, Badgers guard Mike Kelley and
his Boilermakers counterpart, Carson Cunningham, had to leave the
game at the same time with blood streaming from cuts near their eyes.
Moments later, Brian Cardinal hit a 3-pointer and Mike Robinson
dropped in two free throws, and the Boilermakers were down just
four.
Purdue was still within five, but Roy Boone hit two free throws
and then went in for a dunk after a steal and pass from Kelley to
increase the lead to nine with 2:45 remaining.
"Mike is just a tough kid. I've known him since the fifth grade
and he's one of the toughest people I know," Wisconsin's Andy
Kowske said of Kelley, who missed the second half of an
opening-round win over Northwestern with a thigh injury.
Robinson scored 15 to lead Purdue (21-9) and Cardinal added 14, but shot just 4-of-12. The Boilermakers were coming off a 10-day layoff.
"I felt we should have been fresh," Robinson said. "We should
have jumped out on them instead of them jumping out on us."
The Badgers, who led the Big Ten and are fourth nationally in
scoring defense (55.5 points), contested every Purdue shot and pass
from the outset, forcing the Boilermakers into 17 turnovers.
Wisconsin led 34-24 at the half when Kirk Penney, a freshman
guard from New Zealand, hit a 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining.
"We lost the game in the first five minutes," said Keady, whose team wasn't sharp after the long layoff.
"They came out and just stuck us on defense and we didn't want anything to do with them."
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Wisconsin Clubhouse
Purdue Clubhouse
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