Wisconsin had been known for its offense this season, but Thursday turned out to be a defense-first game against Manhattan.
The Badgers beat Manhattan 50-35 at HP Field House in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. They advance to the second round of the Old Spice Classic against Boston College on Friday.
That makes the 99 points Wisconsin scored against Prairie View A&M, the most it scored in 15 years, and 85 against North Dakota seem paltry by comparison. The Badgers entered averaging 83 points per game, good for fourth in the Big 10.
Forward Jon Leuer led Wisconsin (3-1) with 16 points, while guard Josh Gasser added 12. No other Badger scored more than six points.
Of course, the final score looks like an offensive outpouring considering the first half. The Badgers held a slim 17-10 lead at halftime.
The Jaspers (2-2) received a team-leading 15 points from guard Michael Alvarado. Just three other players scored for Manhattan, which hadn’t scored fewer than 59 points this season.
They are without injured players Torgrim Sommerfeldt, Mohamed Koita and Roberto Colonette.
Wisconsin could’ve used a more persuasive showing after falling from the latest ESPN/USA Today poll on Monday. The Badgers were previously No. 25 but six spots to 31.
Wisconsin | Manhattan | |
Jon Leuer 16 | Scoring | Michael Alvarado 15 |
Jordan Taylor 5 | Assists | Kidani Brutus 4 |
Jon Leuer 13 | Rebounds | Kidani Brutus 7 |
Josh Gasser 2 | Free Throws Made | Michael Alvarado 4 |
Mike Bruesewitz 2 | Steals | Kidani Brutus 2 |
Jon Leuer 2 | Blocks | N/A |