MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin knocked down 15 of 39 three-pointers Monday as the 23rd-ranked Badgers downed SIUE men's basketball 94-69 in front of 13,797 at the Kohl Center.
The Cougars fell to 3-2 with the loss while Wisconsin improved to a perfect 4-0.
SIUE enjoyed a strong first half and took the lead 11-10 thanks to a Myles Thompson three-point play with 13:45 to go before halftime. A pullup jumper from Ring Malith extended SIUE's advantage to 13-10.
A subsequent 9-0 run put the Badgers back on top to stay.
Wisconsin held a 48-41 lead at halftime. SIUE shot 57 percent (17-30) from the field in the first half and outrebounded Wisconsin 15-14.
The Cougar trimmed the lead to 48-43 at the start of the second when Wisconsin went on a 9-0 run, forcing SIUE into a timeout with 16:29 to play in the game. The Badge stretched the run to 16-0 before a Jo Valrie three-pointer with 14:28 left.
Valrie scored 10 points and was one of three Cougars in double figures. He was 2-3 from three-point range. Jordan Pickett paced SIUE with 12 including two three-pointers of his own. Myles Thompson scored 10 points and added a team-high seven rebounds.
SIUE shot 45 percent (26-58) for the game and was 7-18 from three-point range.
After going 8-21 in the first half, the Badgers were 7-18 from three-point range in the second half. For the game, Wisconsin shot 45 percent (29-65) overall.
John Blackwell scored a game-high 24 points and was 5-6 from three-point range to lead Wisconsin. Nick Boyd was 4-7 from long range and finished with 22 points.
The Badgers outrebounded SIUE for the game 38-31. Both teams scored 28 points in the paint.
The Cougars will continue on the road with a pair of games at the Air Force Classic. SIUE will face Air Force Friday night and then play Alabama State Sunday afternoon at Air Force.
