NCAA Basketball: Wisconsin Outmuscles Vanderbilt to reach Sweet 16
By: Nick Goddard
Updated: March 18, 2012
Powered by the #1 ranked defense in the country, the Wisconsin Badgers are headed to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time under head coach Bo Ryan.
The #4 seed Badgers defeated #5 seed Vanderbilt on Saturday, 60-57, in the 3rd round of the NCAA Tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico.With the victory, Wisconsin advances to the East Regional Semifinals in Boston on Thursday, where they will meet the #1 seeded Syracuse Orange.
Game Notes (courtesy UW Athletics)
TEAM NOTES
Wisconsin improved to 26-9 on the season. The 26 wins ranks as the third-highest win total in school history (UW record is 31 in 2008).
The Badgers are now 25-16 (.610) all-time in the NCAA tournament, including 16-10 (.615) under head coach Bo Ryan.
Wisconsin advanced to its 7th regional semifinal in program history (1941, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2012), including the 5th time under Ryan.
This marks the Badgers' first back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances in school history.
The Badgers will make their 3rd Sweet 16 appearance in the last 5 years (since 2008).
UW held Vanderbilt to 59 points, just the 4th time this season the Commodores were held below 60.
Wisconsin had 5 players score in double figures for the first time in an NCAA tournament game since having 6 reach double digits in an 80-70 win over St. John's in 2002.
The Badgers made 10 3-pointers for the second-consecutive game. The only time this season UW accomplished that was in its first two games of the season (15 vs. Kennessaw State and 10 vs. Colgate).
Wisconsin went 10-for-33 from 3-point range, the second-most treys UW has ever attempted in an NCAA tournament game (record is 37 vs. Missouri in 1994).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Senior Jordan Taylor led Wisconsin with 14 points, while grabbing 2 rebound and 3 assists.
- With 3 3-pointers Saturday, Taylor now has 18 career NCAA tournament 3-pointers. He is one shy of the Badgers' school record (19 held by Jon Bryant).
- Junior Ryan Evans scored 11 points, his 14th-consecutive game scoring in double figures.
- Junior Jared Berggren tallied 12 points to go along with a team-high 6 rebounds.
- Sophomore Ben Brust finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds off the Badgers bench. That marks his highest point total since scoring 13 against Indiana on Jan. 26, 2012.
- Junior Mike Bruesewitz scored 10 points and snatched a career-high 3 steals. He connected on 2-of-3 from 3-point range for the second-consecutive game. The last time he had consecutive games with multiple triples was when he went 2-for-2 at Michigan (1/8) and 4-for-4 at Purdue (1/12).
For a look at the updated bracket: click here
Local 5 is your home for the NCAA Tournament, and Final Four.
