Wisconsin Falls To No. 23 Pitt, 73-64
December 31, 2005 | Men's Basketball
The Wisconsin men's basketball team (10-2) lost to Pittsburgh, 73-64, Saturday at the Petersen Events Center. Alando Tucker led the Badgers with a game-high 25 points.
The Badgers suffered just their second loss of the year, with the first coming on the road to Wake Forest earlier this season. The Panthers, meanwhile, remain unbeaten at 11-0.
Wisconsin, who shot just 37.5 percent from the field in the first half, had a stronger second half and finished the game hitting 24-of-57 shots from the field for 41.1 percent. Pittsburgh connected on 27-of-49 shots for 55 percent.
The rebounding effort was even, with both teams pulling down 32 boards. Tucker and Jason Chappell led Wisconsin with seven caroms apiece.
No other player reached double figures for the Badgers besides Tucker, who was 8-of-20 from the field. Brian Butch finished with nine and both Chappell and Greg Stiemsma each added six.
Pitt took a 35-28 lead at halftime. In the second half, the Panthers maintained a slight edge but the Badgers began to chip away at the deficit. A Tucker bucket and a tip-in from Chappell cut the lead to four, 67-63, with just 1:48 to play in the game.
Pittsburgh responded on the very next possession with a basket from John DeGroat. The Badgers failed to score on their next two possessions and the Panthers were able to convert two pairs of free throws to extend the lead back to eight, 71-63, with 43 seconds remaining.
In the first half, a 7-0 run would give the Badgers an early 10-5 lead, but Pitt responded with a 13-0 run of its own to go up 18-10 with 10:29 on the clock. The Panthers would lead by as many as nine in the first half before Wisconsin cut the lead to seven at the break.
Carl Krauser led Pittsburgh with 22 points.
Wisconsin opens Big Ten action at 7 p.m. Thursday against Iowa in the Kohl Center.
