Jan. 9, 2010
Box Score | Notes | Photo Gallery 
MADISON, Wis. -- A sign in the UW student section said it all. “The Kohl Center: Where winning streaks come to die.”
The sign proved prophetic on Saturday as the 17th-ranked Badgers (13-3, 3-1) handed No. 4 Purdue (14-1, 2-1) its first loss of the season with a 73-66 victory. Thanks to a career-high 23 points from sophomore Jordan Taylor and a 17-4 run to open the second half, Wisconsin is now 130-10 at the Kohl Center under Bo Ryan, and another winning streak bites the dust.
Wisconsin could hardly have scripted a better start. Trevon Hughes scored the game’s first five points and Jason Bohannon splashed a 3-pointer from the wing to give the Badgers an 8-0 lead before the Boilermakers knew what hit them.
| Wisconsin 73, Purdue 66 | 1st | 2nd | Final |
| No. 4 Purdue (14-1, 2-1 Big Ten) | 29 | 37 | 66 |
| No. 17 Wisconsin (13-3, 3-1 Big Ten) | 30 | 43 | 73 |
| Statistical Leaders |
| Points: Jordan Taylor (UW) 23 | E'Twaun Moore (PUR) 24 |
| Rebounds: Jon Leuer (UW) 10 | JaJuan Johnson (PUR) 10 |
| Assists: Leuer/Jarmusz/Taylor (UW) 2 | Robbie Hummel (PUR) 5 |
Things unraveled quickly though, as Purdue stormed back to grab a 14-10 lead and Hughes and Keaton Nankivil were both sent to the bench with two fouls just six and a half minutes into the game. Wisconsin was scoreless for over five minutes of the Boilermakers' run before a Bohannon jumper calmed the Badgers down.
Taylor scored seven straight points to give UW a 23-21 lead with 4:30 left in the first half. The Badger lead would climb to five points on a put-back bucket from sophomore Rob Wilson with a minute left. However, that hoop set off a strange chain of events.
After a five-minute delay, Wilson was called for a technical foul after making the basket when he inadvertently hit Purdue’s Robbie Hummel. That gave Hummel two free throws and the ball. Purdue would then close out the half on a 6-2 run cutting the UW lead to one, 30-29, at intermission.
Hughes – who played just six minutes in the first half – returned with a chip on his shoulder scoring five quick points in the opening minutes of the second half. His 3-pointer from the wing gave UW a 39-31 lead with 16:10 remaining.
Freshman Ryan Evans capped a 17-4 run for Wisconsin with back-to-back baskets, forcing Purdue coach Matt Painter to call timeout with his team trailing, 47-33. Purdue attempted to whittle down UW’s double-digit lead, but the closest it would get was a five-point deficit. Two final free throw shots from Hughes sealed the seven-point win for the Badgers.
Taylor stepped up to the challenge when senior guard Hughes was benched early in the first half. Taylor tallied a career high 23 points, shooting 64 percent from the field and knocking down 8-for-11 from the free throw line. Taylor rounded out his line with two rebounds and two assists.
Despite a season-low four points, Jon Leuer contributed a game-high 10 rebounds, two assists and one of UW’s four blocks. Bohannon tied his career-high of 20 points along with three blocks, while Hughes added 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and an assist.
The Badgers relied heavily on racking up points from their young players as well as the veteran lineup, scoring 33 bench points to Purdue’s nine. UW’s free throw percentage was another deciding factor in Saturday’s win, as Wisconsin shot 81.5 percent to Purdue’s 54.2 percent.
The Badgers head out on the road next week to take on Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Ohio State on Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.
