No. 3 Wisconsin entertains Chattanooga

Nov 16, 2014 - 4:28 PM Madison, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - The third-ranked Wisconsin Badgers settle in for the second of four straight home games to tip off the 2014-15 campaign as they host the Chattanooga Mocs at the Kohl Center.

The Badgers kicked off the new campaign with a 62-31 thrashing of Northern Kentucky two nights ago, and will also welcome Green Bay and Boise State to Madison over the next week before heading to the Bahamas where they will compete in the Battle 4 Atlantis.

As for the Mocs, they too began the new season on a positive note Friday evening as they crushed Hiwassee at home in a lopsided 110-53 final. Now 28-10 in season openers as a Division I program, the Mocs logged their 41st 100- point effort, while the 57-point margin of victory was the eight-largest in program history.

As far as an all-time series between these two teams is concerned, this is the first-ever meeting.

Against an overmatched Hiwassee squad, the Mocs had six players score in double figures and three more tally nine points in the triumph. Greg Pryor and Duke Ethridge both dropped in 13 points, Casey Jones accounted for 12 and the trio of Shaq Preston, Eric Robertson and Justin Tuoyo all came away with 11 points, the latter also clearing a team-best 13 rebounds, including seven at the offensive end.

Chattanooga made good on an impressive 54.4 percent from the floor, but a lackluster 9-of-27 (.333) behind the 3-point line and just 27-of-41 (.659) at the free-throw line. The team was also a bit sloppy with the ball as it turned it over 16 times, but still that was a far cry from the 25 miscues logged by the visitors.

More than anything, it was the defense that made the biggest statement for the Badgers in the opener, limiting Northern Kentucky to a woeful 26.4 percent shooting from the field and 2-of-16 beyond the arc. Leading the way at the offensive end for Wisconsin was Frank Kaminsky who registered not only 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting, but also pulled down 11 defensive rebounds for the third double-double of his career. Sam Dekker tacked on 15 points, the only other player to score in double figures for the Badgers, while Nigel Hayes (six points) claimed 10 rebounds as the hosts posted a 42-28 rebounding edge, limiting the Norse to only six offensive boards.

The defensive effort by Wisconsin was the team's strongest since allowing UMKC just 31 points in a 46-point victory back on Nov. 22, 2011.