No. 3 Marquette is up to Wisconsin yet again

MADISON, Wis.– Max Klesmit’s blazing start put Wisconsin in position to beat Marquette for a 3rd straight season.His teammates picked up the slack from there as the Badgers used their rebounding superiority to defeat the third-ranked Golden Eagles 75-64 on Saturday. Klesmit scored all 21 of his points in the first half and posted his acme overall because transferring from Wofford before the 2022-23 season.”(To get)off to a hot start like that, it’s been a

while,”Klesmit stated.”Perhaps even back to high school. You have actually got to precede Wofford.”Wisconsin fans stormed the court to celebrate the very first three-game winning streak for either group in the 130-game series in between two in-state competitors separated by 79 miles. Wisconsin won 4 straight over Marquette from 1998-2001. The Badgers never trailed, thanks in part to Klesmit’s quick start.

Klesmit shot 6 of 9 in general, 5 of 8 from 3-point range and 4 of 4 on free-throw efforts in the very first half as Wisconsin had a 46-33 lead at the break.”Provide Klesmit a great deal of credit,”Marquette coach Shaka Smart stated. “I like him as a player

because he is like:’I’m going after it. I don’t care who I’m betting. I do not care what anybody says. I’m going to play with a chip on our shoulder.’Perhaps our group can take a hint from that-viewing that -and possibly we can replicate him. “Klesmit didn’t rating after halftime, when Smart noted Marquette’s defenders “were close enough he could smell our breath.”

Wisconsin still discovered a method to win, thanks in part to its dominance on the glass. Wisconsin outrebounded the Golden Eagles 38-23 and

outscored them 18-2 in second-chance points.”The coaches have been on Tyler(Wahl)and I and AJ (Storr )-our 3, 4, 5-about crashing the glass,”stated Steven Crowl, who had 16 points and a game-high 8 rebounds.” It’s sort of revealed this season.” Storr had 13 points and Wahl 10 for Wisconsin. Kam Jones scored 19 and Tyler Kolek included 11 for Marquette.After routing by 16 in the closing

seconds of the very first half, Marquette went on a 17-2 go to get the margin to one with 14:46 left in the game.

But the Golden Eagles never ever could grab the lead and stopped working to make a basket for more than seven minutes at one point in the second half, enabling Wisconsin to regain its double-digit benefit.”When hardship comes, you have actually got to go back and attack it,”Wisconsin coach Greg Gard stated.”We didn’t get that deer-in-the-headlight look.

I believe we responded. Part of that was I believe the older guys in the huddle- Tyler, Max, Chucky(Hepburn )-were pretty singing and got after some guys about how we needed to play, and they reacted.”Broad view Marquette: The Golden Eagles keep digging themselves into early holes during these yearly matchups with Wisconsin. They tracked by 16 early in the second half last year but rallied to take the lead before Wisconsin ultimately made it through 80-77 in overtime. Marquette nearly erased a 16-point deficit again Saturday however ended up spending for its bad start.Wisconsin: The Badgers seemed on the verge of blowing an opportunity for a signature win when their lead shrank in the middle of a flurry of turnovers early in the 2nd half. But they restored their grace, played remarkable defense and made their very first win over a top-five group because a 74-69 victory at No. 3 Purdue on Jan. 3, 2022. Wisconsin kept it lead regardless of shooting 0 for 7 from 3-point variety in the 2nd half.Poll implications Marquette likely will drop a number of spots, however might remain in the top five on Monday. Wisconsin didn’t get a single vote in this week’s AP Top 25 poll, so it will take a big leap for the Badgers to make it into the rankings based on this victory.Up next Marquette: Hosts Texas on Wednesday in a Huge East/Big 12 Battle matchup. Marquette coach Shaka Smart coached Texas from 2015-21. Wisconsin: Opens its Big 10 schedule by checking out Michigan State on Tuesday.