Postgame Notes & Quotes - Wisconsin
12/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2008
Postgame Notes - MU vs. Wisconsin (Dec. 6, 2008)
- In the 115th meeting between the two schools, Marquette captured its 53rd victory and pulled the all-time series record to 62-53 in favor of Wisconsin
- The victory marks the first time since the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons that the Golden Eagles have captured back-to-back victories in the series.
- The victory over Wisconsin marks the first win over a team ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll since March 13, 2008 against then-No. 15 Notre Dame
- Marquette improved its record to 7-0 in the Buzz Williams' era when the Golden Eagles out-rebound their opponents. Marquette out-rebounded Wisconsin 31-30 including a 21-to-14 advantage in the second half. After only two offensive rebounds in the first half, Marquette responded to grab 10 in the second.
- Marquette trailed the Badgers at the half 33-27, the largest deficit at the half of the season (six points). The Golden Eagles were also held to a season-low halftime total with 27 points.
- A three-pointer by Jerel McNeal with 5:27 left in the second half gave Marquette its first lead since the 19:21 mark of the first half. The three by McNeal was in the middle of a run in which McNeal scored 17 of Marquette's last 18 points, including 14 straight. The 14 straight points spanned from the 16:53 mark in the second half until the 5:27 mark.
- Jerel McNeal's 26 points were a season high and the most points scored by McNeal since he put in 30 against Stanford on March 22 in the NCAA Tournament Second Round. It is the second time this season that McNeal led the team in scoring. The other came against Texas Southern (Nov. 25) with 20 points.
- McNeal also led the Golden Eagles with four of the team's five three point baskets on the night. McNeal was 4-of-7 behind the line, while the rest of the team was a combined 1-of-13.
- Lazar Hayward's 13 rebounds set a career high, topping his previous high of 12 recorded this year against Houston Baptist (Nov.14).
- Wisconsin was held without a field goal for 6:01 in the second half, from the 8:18 mark until Marcus Landry's layup with 2:17 remaining.
- Entering the game as the leader in Division I with 9.4 free throws made per game, Wesley Matthews failed to make any from the line until 18:24 remaining in the second half and finished 1-of-1 for the game.
- Matthews' nine points was his lowest point total of the season and he failed to reach double-digits for the first time since the opening round game of the 2008 BIG EAST Tournament against Seton Hall (March 12). Prior to the game, Matthews was leading the team with 22.0 points per contest.
Postgame Quotes - MU vs. Wisconsin
MU Head Coach Buzz Williams:
I thought it was a great college basketball game. I thought the last 16 minutes; it was Joe Frazier and Mohammad Ali. I think Bo Ryan is a Hall-of-Fame coach, I think they have a distinct style of play that is extremely hard to prepare for. I think he has constructed his roster in a way and with their style of play that they are really, really tough to match-up with. It changes how you have to play, it changes how you have to prepare. I thought it was an incredible college game, and I am not saying that because we won. I thought that Dwight Burke was arguably our best player. I thought he guarded their best player. I thought that all week, I don't know if we matched up anywhere but the one or the two spot.
I thought that Dwight was our most valuable player. I think Jerel McNeal was our best player, but I thought that Dwight was our most valuable player. I thought that Maurice Acker, even though he only played a few minutes, the possessions that he played, he was really, really good for our team.
On the significance of the win for himââ'¬Â¦
It means a great deal to our institution. It means a great deal to our players, it probably means a little more to our fans and our alumni. The game is not about me. I am unbelievable humbled and grateful as I have been for the last 242 days. Its about the guys that have been working every single day and it is about the people that have allowed this platform as it relates to Marquette basketball to be what it is.
MU Guard Jerel McNeal:
Everything that we did tonight, especially for that part of the game, was predicated off us playing unbelievable defense. We were getting stops and rebounding and forcing turnovers, giving us a chance to run. That is what our team is all about. Offensively, coach put the ball in my hands and I was trying to read their defense and make plays when I could.
I was trying to do whatever I could to help the team. It was one of those grind-it-out type games, it wasn't as up-and-down as we would have liked.
On the pace of the gameââ'¬Â¦
Whenever you play a type of team like that, that is the way that the game is going to be. They are going to make you work on defense each and every possession that they get. They are a great passing team and a great skill and fundamental team. I think it is a complement to our team that we can win those types of games. I think we did an unbelievable job rebounding.
UW Forward Joe Krabbenhoft:
First of all, it's a credit to the other team, Marquette, they do that to teams and in the last five minutes they really did that to us. Second of all, we had our opportunities but we just didn't take advantage of them. There were a couple of possessions there that I had my foot out of bounds. We had our opportunities, but like I said, that's a credit to the other team also.
On Jerel McNealââ'¬Â¦
He was making tough shots. We were switching off, getting a hand in his face, but he really made some great plays.
In the first half we were doing what we wanted, making them shoot outside shots. That was something we wanted to do. Things kind of switched, they got the momentum and we never got it back.
On reboundingââ'¬Â¦
The second half they came out as the aggressor in every aspect of the game, specifically rebounding. They attacked the glass as hard as I've ever seen anybody attack the glass and we have to match that. We've got the players to do the same thing.
UW forward Marcus Landry:
We kind of took ourselves out of what we like. We had some turnovers and they had too many offensive rebounds, that is the thing that hurts you in the end. All of those things add up.
We were in this position last year as a team; we didn't come out on the left-hand side last year, but from that point on, and we got better. We will get in the gym tomorrow and deal with what's next.
UW Head Coach Bo Ryan:
The final few minutes we played extremely well. We got scores, timeouts; we got in position to force a turnover by them. (The stretch before the end) we scored two points on nine possessions. It hurts. We lose the lead and they get the lead and we play from behind on the road, things you don't like to do. When you have to, you try to get it done.
On Keaton Nankivilââ'¬Â¦
The word rebound might be deceiving because he got a body on his man a lot. But you always like to see your five-man a little more active on the glass, but he did some really nice things, for a sophomore. The first time logging those type of minutes in a game like that.
It's all about possessions, you do some things well, you get them to shoot around 40 percent. You don't allow them certain things. But then on our end we didn't take advantage of the opportunities that we had.
If you're getting shots on those and not turning it over, that makes all the difference in the world.
On Jerel McNealââ'¬Â¦
He's good enough to do that. He's a guy on that team that can create things and make a lot of things happen with the ball. At least we were trying to get him to do it in different ways. But if you are scoring on your end on a few of those possessions then it comes down and is a little tighter, rather than us trying to cut into the lead.
