Badgers blow out Buckeyes

MADISON (WITI)---A defensive tone was set early Sunday by the 20th ranked Wisconsin Badgers and it kept the 13th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in a hole throughout Wisconsin's 71-49 drubbing of Ohio State.

Early in the 1st half, the Badgers held the Buckeyes scoreless for more than 7 minutes. During that span, Wisconsin went on an 18-0 run giving them a 24-6 lead. After the first 20 minutes Wisconsin led 39-22.

Ohio State had trouble hitting shots and they were cold from behind the arc, going 3 of 12 from 3 point range. On the other side, Wisconsin was 6 of 13 at one point, finishing at 7 of 19 in 3 point shots. The Badgers shot 53 percent in the game.

Four Badgers scored in double figures. Ben Brust and Jared Berggren had 15, with Sam Dekker adding 13 and Traevon Jackson with 10.

When the game was well out of reach, Ryan Evans' emphatic slam dunk, giving the Badgers a 67-41 lead late, was the perfect example of how this game was played. Evans came running into the lane after his Dekker missed a 3 point shot, jumped above the defenders and corralled the rebound with one hand and threw down the dunk. It sent an already boisterous crowd into a frenzy. Shortly after the play,  Evans was taken out of the game and received a standing ovation from his teammates on the bench.

The Badgers improve to 18-8 overall and 9-4 in the Big Ten where they are tied for third with Michigan. Wisconsin will travel to Northwestern on Wednesday.