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Taylor, Badgers top struggling Hoosiers

Jan 21, 2011 - 6:58 AM Madison, WI (Sports Network) - Junior guard Jordan Taylor scored a career-high 28 points and pulled down eight rebounds, as the 18th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers held off the Indiana Hoosiers, 69-60, in a Big Ten Conference affair.

Jon Leuer added 20 points for the Badgers (14-4, 4-2 Big Ten), who have won 14 in a row at home.

Keaton Nankivil chipped in with nine points and seven boards for Wisconsin, which went 16-of-17 from the foul line after not taking a shot from the charity stripe in the first half.

"I don't know if it was any more taxing than any other Big Ten game. Yes, we were playing from behind, but any game, whether playing with the lead or from behind is a tough game," Taylor said. "We were trying to dig in and make stops and play good defense on the other end. Every game is going to be physical. Jon (Leuer) made some huge shots for us down the stretch and kind of put them away, but it was a team effort."

Jordan Hulls finished with 16 points for the Hoosiers (10-9, 1-5), who have lost seven of eight. Verdell Jones III donated 15 points and six rebounds in defeat.

Indiana got off to a fast start and took a 14-6 lead on Hulls' three-pointer with 15:45 left in the first half.

Despite not leading in the half, Wisconsin was able to keep it close and cut its deficit to 34-30 on Taylor's trey before the break.

Trailing by six, 42-36, with 16:34 to play, the Badgers put together an 11-4 run to go in front. Leuer capped the surge with a three-point play to make it 47-46 with 12:08 left.

Holding a 54-52 edge, the Badgers ripped off five consecutive points to create some distance. Taylor made a jumper and two free throws around Jones' missed jumper. Nankivil's free throw made it 59-52 with 4:38 to go.

Indiana never got closer than four the rest of the way.

"Well, we're disappointed because we came to win," Hoosiers coach Tom Crean said. "I think every man in our locker room felt that we could, felt that if we executed our game plan that we'd have that opportunity. We certainly knew the challenge in front of us because you're never ever going to get Wisconsin to give you anything; you're going to have to beat them. They are at the top of the list with programs that never beat themselves and we knew we were going to have to play very well."

Game Notes

Indiana still owns a 94-62 series advantage over Wisconsin, but the Badgers have won the last seven meetings between the schools...Indiana sophomore guard Maurice Creek will be out indefinitely after suffering a stress fracture on his right patella near the end of last Saturday's game against Michigan...The Badgers are 11-0 at the Kohl Center this season...Jones surpassed 1,000 points for his career, the 42nd player in Indiana history to accomplish the feat.