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Balanced Badgers clobber Illinois

 
Published Jan. 9, 2014

MADISON, Wis. — Ben Brust scored 18, Sam Dekker added 17 and No. 4 Wisconsin used a 20-0 run in the first half to easily beat No. 23 Illinois 95-70 Wednesday.

The Badgers (16-0, 3-0 Big Ten) are off to the best start in school history.

Wisconsin shot 53 percent from the field in the first half to open a 25-point halftime lead. The Illini (13-3, 2-1) stumbled badly in their debut this year as a Top 25 team and lost a sixth straight to their border rival.

Rayvonte Rice led Illinois with 19 points but shot 7-of-21.

The Illini missed 13 straight shots, some on easy looks, while Wisconsin methodically wore them down inside and on the perimeter during the big first-half run.

Joseph Bertrand added 18 points and nine rebounds for Illinois, and Tracy Abrams had eight points. Nnanna Egwu grabbed 10 rebounds, nine on the offensive end.

The balanced Badgers had five players with at least 11 points, with Frank Kaminsky adding 15 and freshman Nigel Hayes 11 off the bench. Traevon Jackson had 15 points and made 7 of 7 free throws.

NO. 6 WICHITA ST. 66, ILLINOIS ST. 47: Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker scored 11 each for the host Shockers (16-0, 3-0 MVC), who extended the longest winning streak and best start in program history by holding the Redbirds to 27 percent shooting (18-of-55).

NO. 8 VILLANOVA 83, SETON HALL 67: Darrun Hilliard had 19 points for the visiting Wildcats (14-1, 3-0 Big East), who made 12 3-pointers and shot 52 percent from the field.

NO. 11 OKLA. ST. 87, TEXAS 74: Markel Brown had 27 points and Marcus Smart 24 for the host Cowboys (13-2, 1-1 Big 12), who shot 54 percent from the field in the second half after struggling early.

NO. 14 KENTUCKY 85, MISS. ST. 63: James Young had 26 points for the host Wildcats (11-3, 1-0 SEC), who rallied from a halftime deficit in their first game since Dec. 28.

NO. 15 COLO. 71, WASH. ST. 70, OT: Josh Scott scored eight of his 19 in overtime, and the visiting Buffaloes (14-2, 3-0 Pac-12) tied the second-best start in program history.

NO. 18 KANSAS 90, OKLA. 83: Wayne Selden for the visiting Jayhawks (10-4), who won their Big 12 opener for the 23rd straight season.

NO. 19 UMASS 66, ST. JOSEPH'S 60: Chaz Williams had eight of his 22 points in the final six minutes, leading the host Minutemen (13-1) to a comeback win in their Atlantic 10 opener.

GEORGIA 70, NO. 21 MISSOURI 64: Charlie Mann had 18 points, including the go-ahead basket with 35.8 seconds to go in overtime, and the Bulldogs overcame 13-of-26 free-throw shooting to end a 26-game home winning streak by the Tigers (12-2) in their SEC opener.

MIAMI 63, UNC 57: Rion Brown had 19 points and Erik Swoope added a career-high 14 for the visiting Hurricanes (9-6, 1-2 ACC), who took control late in the first half, led by as much as 13 after the break and twice turned away modest rallies by the cold-shooting Tar Heels (10-5, 0-2).

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FLA. SOUTHERN 84, ECKERD 55: Jerrick Stevenson had 20 points for the visiting Tritons (8-5, 1-1 Sunshine State), who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

TAMPA 59, SAINT LEO 57: Eric Moraes and Jordan Davis had 12 points each for the host Spartans (9-3, 2-1 SSC), who erased a 12-point second-half deficit against the Lions (12-3, 1-2).

VANDERBILT: Leading scorer Eric McClellan is out for the rest of the season after the sophomore point guard was suspended for the spring semester for violating academic policy.

Women

NO. 7 BAYLOR 78, W. VA. 62: Odyssey Sims had a career-high 48 points and set a school record with 201 career 3-pointers, leading the visiting Bears (13-1, 3-0 Big 12).

NO. 11 IOWA ST. 74, TEXAS TECH 48: Hallie Christofferson had 22 points for the host Cyclones (14-0, 3-0 Big 12), who extended the best start in team history.

NO. 15 OKLA. ST. 58, KANSAS ST. 51: Kendra Suttles had 11 straight points in the second half, her only points of the game, to spur the visiting Cowgirls (13-1, 2-1 Big 12).

PORTLAND 72, NO. 24 SAN DIEGO 51: Cassandra Brown had 18 points and twice hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half, and the host Pilots stunned the Toreros (15-1, 4-1 WCC), who were ranked for the first time in program history.

ECKERD 53, FLA. SOUTHERN 43: Kayla Bowlin had 17 points and a career-high eight assists, and the visiting Tritons (7-4, 1-1 SSC) ended a three-game slide.

TAMPA 70, SAINT LEO 55: Shamika Williams had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the host Spartans (8-4, 2-1 SSC). Chelsea Williams had 13 points for the Lions (10-3, 1-2).