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Wisconsin holds PSU to 36 points, loses

Mar 12, 2011 - 5:50 AM Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - Talor Battle went just 3-for-18 but led Penn State with nine points in an ugly 36-33 upset of No. 13 Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Trying to make an improbable run to the NCAA Tournament, the Nittany Lions (18-13) moved on to face Michigan State in the semifinals on Saturday.

The Badgers (23-8) will make the NCAAs anyway despite a lifeless performance that saw them make just 15 of their 51 shots. Jordan Taylor had 16 points to lead Wisconsin, but missed a potential game-tying three-pointer in the final seconds, and Jon Leuer scored 10.

Ironically, the lowest-scoring game in Big Ten Tournament history also saw Battle break the Penn State scoring record. He has 2,141 to pass Jesse Arnelle's mark of 2,138.

"As we all know, it wasn't a pretty basketball game, but you have to win them somehow, and we were able to win the thing tonight," said Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis.

The Nittany Lions opened the game on a 14-0 run -- Wisconsin didn't get its first points until 7:27 had passed -- and had a lead of 18-2 after Tim Frazier's layup with 9:58 remaining in the first half.

Amazingly, Penn State made only five more shots the rest of the game -- including zero before taking a 20-16 edge into halftime.

The fifth shot was a three-pointer by Battle that made it 35-30 with 2:24 remaining. Keaton Nankivil responded with a three for Wisconsin (it was his only bucket of the game) and Battle missed a layup at the other end, opening the door for the Badgers to tie the game or go ahead.

But Taylor missed a three-point try from the top of the arc, hitting the front of the rim. Battle then made 1-of-2 free throws with 10.5 seconds left before Taylor, leaning in, came up short on another three-point attempt.

Frazier grabbed the rebound underneath and tossed it to Jeff Brooks, who relayed it across midcourt as timed ticked away, bringing a merciful end to what Battle called "an ugly, physical Big Ten game.".

"We got off to such a great start offensively and then we just went south in a hurry and never could get anything back, couldn't get any rhythm." DeChellis said. "Then [Battle] made a big shot to kind of give us a little breathing room, and we held on."

Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan said he was proud of his team for rebounding from an 18-2 deficit to have a chance at the end, but little else.

"That's the only positive that I can get from this," he said.

Game Notes

Penn State wasn't much better than Wisconsin, shooting 33 percent from the floor (13-of-39)...Brian Cardinal once scored a tournament-record 33 points for Purdue in a 1999 game against Michigan.