Madison - Like any good player, Kirk Penney contained himself when it was over.
Taking questions about the biggest scoring performance by a University of
Wisconsin player in the 108-game history of the Badgers' rivalry with
Marquette, the junior was as poised on the dais as he was on the court Saturday
afternoon. Maybe he was exploding with joy on the inside.
"I certainly found a little rhythm out there," he said after the
Badgers stunned previously unbeaten Marquette, 86-73, at the Kohl Center.
"It was quite enjoyable to find that rhythm and knock a few down. You have
those games every now and then, and it's great to have one before
Christmas."
A little rhythm? It's fair to call Penney's collegiate-high 33 points on
13-of-17 shooting, including 5 of 6 from three-point range, a concert of
precision.
The 6-foot-5 guard put on what, to date, should go down as his most complete
offensive performance in a Badgers uniform. He posted up. He put the ball on
the floor and got to the basket. And, of course, he shot the three.
And Penney got better as the game wore on. After a sizzling 5-for-7 start in
the first half, Penney scored 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the second.
"What they've done with Kirk Penney is take a guy who was a great
shooter coming in and made him a complete player. . . . He does a lot of good
things," Marquette coach Tom Crean said.
The victory was Wisconsin's fourth in a row over Marquette and by far the
most surprising of the streak. While the Badgers (5-6) have stumbled, Marquette
(10-1) entered play on its best start in four years and, at No. 14 in the Associated
Press poll, their highest ranking since the end of the 1978-'79 season.
Crean dismissed the idea that his team overlooked Wisconsin.
"Please don't ask something ridiculous like that," he said.
"Our kids totally understand it's a big game just as their kids understand
it's a big game."
The reasons behind the first big victory of the Bo Ryan era were manifold.
The Badgers started fast, making 13 of their first 23 shots to take a
20-point lead in the first half. And they finished strong, running off nine
consecutive points to fight off a torrid Marquette comeback in which the Golden
Eagles made 16 of 20 shots (80%) to trim the Badgers' lead to 61-60 with 7
minutes 22 seconds to play.
Penney was the star of the game, but he had plenty of help. Three teammates
- Mike Wilkinson (16 points, 12 rebounds), Freddie Owens (14 points) and Devin
Harris (11 points) - scored in double figures. Senior Travon Davis added nine
points, seven assists and no turnovers in 35 minutes.
Wisconsin singed the nets at a rate of 58% (29 of 50) overall and 64.3% (9
of 14) from three-point range - both season-highs. Add the Badgers' 19 assists
and 10 turnovers and it was their most complete offensive showing of the
season, even if Ryan downplayed it a bit.
"We didn't make every shot. We didn't make every free throw," he
said. "Probably if you are a statistics person, you look at certain lines
and say we could have done a bit better job in some areas."
Dwyane Wade's foul trouble compounded problems for Marquette. The Golden
Eagles' leading scorer at 18.6 points per game played just 6 minutes in the
first half, when Marquette trailed by as many as 20 points.
When he was on the floor, he dominated. Penney, Owens and Harris took turns
defending the 6-4 guard in the second half but to no avail. He finished with a
team-high 23 points.
Wade, who took one shot in the first half, opened the second by making each
of his six shots during the first 7 minutes to spark Marquette's comeback.
Defending him was a chore.
"He takes what the defense gives him," Harris said. "You want
to give him some cushion but not too much cushion, and you want to be able to
stop the (jumper) but not as far as to where he can drive right past you.
You've got to stay in equilibrium with him."
Wade's outburst pulled Marquette within 50-41 with 13:10 to play. Senior
David Diggs (10 points) sparked the second half of the run, which trimmed
Wisconsin's lead to one point (61-60) with 7:22 to play. The reserve forward
hit 2 three-pointers and scored two other baskets during the 5-minute span that
Marquette pulled within one point.
Wisconsin's response was fueled by two hustle plays that woke up the
sold-out arena of 17,142.
Owens' steal and layup pushed the lead to 65-60. Harris' block of a Wade
shot on the next possession led to a layup and three-point play for Owens that
pushed the lead to eight.
But it was fitting that Penney sealed the victory less than 2 minutes later
with a three-pointer and drive to the basket to give Wisconsin a nine-point
lead, 75-66. Marquette never pulled closer than that the rest of the game.
It was a sweet end to a big day.
"They are a very good team so we we're going to be ready with all
cylinders running," Penney said. "You should be like that every game,
but the fact that they're unbeaten and they're riding high, you want to do your
very best to make sure they don't come into our house and get the win."
