Injuries cost Purdue in loss to Wisconsin

By Arnie Stapleton
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Badgers gave themselves so much leeway that not even a 5-for-20 second-half shooting collapse mattered.

"The first half outweighed the second half," coach Brad Soderberg said after the No. 16 Badgers routed Purdue 73-54 behind a 45-17 first-half blitz Wednesday night.

Roy Boone outscored Purdue by himself in the first half (18-17) and finished with 20 points. Kirk Penney added 17 and Andy Kowske scored 14, his best output since scoring 21 in the season opener, and grabbed 11 rebounds.

"They came out blazing," Boilermakers coach Gene Keady said. "There was not much we could do about it. We came back and fought gallantly in the second half, but it was too late."

The Badgers (15-5, 6-3 Big Ten) broke it open with a 26-3 first-half onslaught. Boone had eight points in the run, which he capped with a steal and a dunk that left him left him posterior in the lane and the Boilermakers (13-8, 5-5) desperate and dumbfounded.

The Boilermakers sorely missed 6-foot-10 junior center John Allison, their leading rebounder and shot-blocker who was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right foot Monday.

And they lost their leading scorer, forward Rodney Smith to a foot injury in the first half after scoring just two points in eight minutes.

Keady said he didn’t know the extent of Smith’s injury.

"I’d rather not comment about it until our doctor looks at it, but it was hurt enough we weren’t going to play him," Keady said. "Another foot."

Neither sophomore Adam Wetzel nor freshman Kevin Garrity adequately replaced Allison, who was named a captain by Keady on Jan. 26.

Allison, out indefinitely, had started the first 20 games this season and leads the Boilermakers in rebounds (5.6 per game) and blocks (2.75). He’s also third in scoring at 10.9 points.

The 45 first-half points was one more than the Badgers had managed the entire night in their last game at the Kohl Center, a 58-44 loss to Butler that ended their 11-game home winning streak and made their first stay in the Top 10 in 38 years a short one.

Without Allison and Smith, the Boilermakers had no chance at stopping their slide.

On Jan. 10, Purdue beat Wisconsin 73-67 and led the Big Ten at 3-0. Since then, the teams have gone in opposite directions.

The Boilermakers have lost four of seven and the Badgers, who were 1-2 at the time, have won five of six and are one loss behind league leader Illinois.

The Badgers, who haven’t won the Big Ten since 1947, are tied with Iowa for third place, just 1 1/2 games out of first place.

"We’re in the race right now, we’re definitely in the hunt," point guard Travon Davis said. "We’ve got an opportunity that we haven’t had around this university in a while.

"We’re one of the top four teams right now contending for the championship. If we keep running that race and sprinting to the finish line, I like our chances."

Davis directed the Badgers’ big first-half run after Mike Kelley went to the bench in foul trouble just 3:36 in. Davis, a junior, had a career-high six assists.

In the second half, the Boilermakers went with four guards in the lineup and went on a 10-0 run themselves and cut the Badgers’ lead to 60-45 on back-to-back 3-pointers by Carson Cunningham, who scored 14.

Wetzel’s dunk off a missed free throw pulled the Boilermakers to 62-50 with 2:55 remaining, but Penney responded with his third 3-pointer and Purdue was forced to foul after that. The Badgers, who scored their most points this season except for the 78 they had in overtime against Maryland in December, sank 8-of-10 free throws in the closing minutes.

Keady said he didn’t lose his cool at halftime.

"I behaved," he said. "I tried to act like a science teacher."

But there was no antidote for the Badgers on this night.

Injuries cost Purdue in loss to Wisconsin

Football recruits sign on

Boilers recruit nine defensive players

Boilermakers to face Iowa in difficult road matchup

SPORTS DESK PHONE:
(765) 743-1111 ext. 251

Sports editor:
Paul Trembacki

Assistant sports editor:
Anne McLaren

To send a letter to the editor, please email opinions@purdueexponent.org