Beyond the Box Score: Wisconsin 70, Marquette 64

(Photo courtesy Andy Manis: AP)

10-0.

That’s got a nice look to it.

So does beating Marquette.

The Badgers moved to 10-0 and finished a tough week by knocking off rival Marquette 70-64.

With three winnable games left, running the table on the non-conference schedule is now in reach. If Sam Dekker keeps playing like today, it’ll happen. The sophomore finished with 20 points and ten rebounds. He also electrified the crowd with a couple dunks and a great alley-oop to Frank Kaminsky.

Also, as has happened already this year, all five started scored in double digits. The depth of the team this year is something that will come in handy playing in a tough conference.

Let’s hop to the box score.

• Wisconsin went 19-23 from the free throw line. That’s how you salt away a game like this. Marquette made it close at the end, coming within three, but by hitting their free throws, the Badgers were able to keep them at bay.
• Traevon Jackson had six assists and zero turnovers. How about that? We got to see how good he can be when he’s taking care of the ball and distributing. He was also 3-7, which shows that he wasn’t forcing shots like we saw Wednesday night against Virginia.
• Like I mentioned above, all five starters were in double digits. Dekker had 20, Brust 13, Jackson 12, Kaminsky 11, and Gasser 10. It’s hard to have an off day as a team when you have five guys that can score. That’s something that has plagued some Badger teams in the past, so it’s a very nice luxury to have.
• The foul trouble of the front court. This is really the only negative of the game. With both Kaminsky and Nigel Hayes in foul trouble early, Bo had to turn to Evan Anderson who looked out of rhythm in the offense. This is to be expected, as he hasn’t played important minutes all year. While he was in, though, he picked up three quick fouls which forced Bo to bring in Zach Bohannon. Anderson’s job was to play solid defense (he did have a nice block on a help) and stay out of foul trouble.

The Badgers welcome UW-Milwaukee to the Kohl Center on Wednesday, as they will be looking for the state-sweep. Make sure to follow along on Twitter at MadTownBadgers.