TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A trip to the desert sunshine brought the Wisconsin offense out of the deep freeze and doomed the upstart hopes of little Belmont University.
Jon Leuer scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half and Wisconsin methodically dispatched the Bruins 72-58 on Thursday night, the Badgers’ fifth consecutive NCAA tournament-opening victory. Jordan Taylor added 21 for the fourth-seeded Badgers (24-8), 14 in the first half.
There was much talk of Belmont, a No. 13 seed, being a surprise tournament team, but the Bruins never hit their stride against the Badgers, who made 12 of 22 3-pointers, led by Taylor’s 5 of 9.
It was an impressive rebirth of the Wisconsin offense after a 36-33 loss to Penn State in the lowest-scoring game in Big Ten Tournament history. Wisconsin was 2 of 21 on 3-pointers in that one.
Mike Hedgepeth scored 17 and Kerron Johnson 13 for the Atlantic Sun champion Bruins (30-5), still searching for their first NCAA tournament victory after four tries.
Belmont shot 37 percent overall and made only 6 of 22 3-pointers. Starting guards Ian Clark and Drew Hanlen were a combined 2 of 15 from the field.
In a play that epitomized the outcome, Taylor was stuck at the top of the key with the shot clock expiring and let fly with a 3-pointer that hit the mark with 16:57 remaining. Leuer followed with his second turnaround jumper of the half to put Wisconsin up 41-31.
Belmont coach Rick Byrd substituted his entire lineup, not all that unusual for a team that regularly goes 10 deep.
Jordan Campbell made a pair of 3-pointers that cut it to 43-39 with 13:38 to play. But the bruins from Nashville, Tenn., never got any closer.
Mike Bruesewitz’s 3-pointer started a 13-1 run over the next five minutes put Wisconsin safely in control at 56-40 on Jared Berggren’s 3-pointer with 8:32 to play. Belmont cut it to 12, but a Wisconsin team that made an NCAA record 82.4 percent of its free throws this season, sealed the victory at the line from there.
The game picked up after an excruciating first 8½ minutes that had Wisconsin ahead 8-7.
Down 25-23 after Kerron Johnson’s reverse layup for Belmont, the Badgers scored the next nine points, all from long-range on 3s by Leuer, Tim Jarmusz and Taylor, to go up 32-25 with 1:36 left in the half.
Wisconsin, a 37 percent 3-point shooting team for the season, made 7 of 14 in the first half to lead 34-27 at the break.
The Badgers are making their 13th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, the last 10 under coach Bo Ryan.