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BOX SCORE
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Jerry Tarkanian's return to the NCAA Tournament after a nine-year absence didn't last long.
Jon Bryant scored 21 points, including four consecutive
3-pointers from the left corner, as No. 8 seed Wisconsin beat
ninth-seeded Fresno State 66-56 on Thursday night in the West
Regional.
"Boy, this one's easy to describe," Wisconsin coach Dick
Bennett said. "Jon just simply destroyed that zone from the left
side."
|  | | Wisconsin's Charlie Wills attempts to get a shot off against Fresno State's Melvin Ely. |
Tarkanian, the subject of decades-long investigations by the
NCAA, had been away since 1991 when UNLV reached the Final Four,
capping 16 trips to the tournament for him with the Runnin' Rebels.
It took five years and four straight trips to the lesser NIT for
Tarkanian to get his alma mater of Fresno State into the NCAA
tournament. Along the way, there were embarrassing player
suspensions and arrests.
"It was great being back," Tarkanian said. "I just wished we
were able to finish the game."
The Badgers (19-13) beat the Bulldogs (24-10) for the third time
in the last three years and ended Fresno State's eight-game winning
streak. Wisconsin will play No. 1 seed Arizona in the second round
Saturday. The Wildcats (27-6) defeated Jackson State 71-47 earlier
Thursday.
Andy Kowske added 14 points and 14 rebounds as the Badgers
dominated the boards, 37-29, in winning their first NCAA tournament
game since 1994. They had lost first-round games twice in the last
three years.
Fresno State's Courtney Alexander, the nation's leading scorer
with a 25.3 average, was held to 11 on 5-of-19 shooting in 37
minutes.
"I don't feel I forced shots," he said. "I missed some tough
shots that normally go in."
Wisconsin's lineup went 10-deep, while the Bulldogs' five-man
rotation wore itself out. Tarkanian had only two players to call
off the bench.
"We had it going so well and then we just died," he said.
"Our kids were very tired."
A pro-Fresno State crowd at the Huntsman Center had much to
cheer about early in the second half when the Bulldogs built a
seven-point lead on consecutive 3-pointers by Demetrius Porter and
Terrance Roberson, who led the Bulldogs with 19 points.
Unlike his appearances with UNLV in the tournament, the sad-eyed
Tarkanian didn't chomp on his trademark white towel. He stood with
his hands jammed in his pockets watching Alexander miss two
straight baskets as the Badgers regained the lead midway through
the second half.
Melvin Ely, who finished with 12 points, dunked to put the
Bulldogs ahead 44-38 before the ever-patient Badgers milked the
shot clock in pursuit of a high percentage shot. Their slowdown
paid off with 14 straight points for a 52-44 lead with 6:12
remaining.
Duany Duany started the run with his fourth 3-pointer of the
game. Mike Kelley, a two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year,
stole the ball and scored on a layup in between inside baskets by
Kowske.
"Kelley got in the passing lanes as well as anybody I've
seen," Tarkanian said.
Kelley, who applied his peskiness to Alexander for much of the
game, had six of Wisconsin's 12 steals. The Badgers' defense forced
17 turnovers, while committing just eight.
"My main objective was to make him shoot over me," Kelley said
of Alexander. "I wanted to get a hand up in his face and push him
away from the basket. He's used to scoring a lot of points. Because
that wasn't happening in a big game, I think he was getting a
little frustrated."
The Bulldogs went 7:26 without a basket until Alexander hit a
jumper that drew them within six.
"Our zone stopped moving. We just ran out of gas," Tarkanian
said. "I took two timeouts to give them rest, but they just didn't
have anything left."
By then, Bryant had found a favorite spot in the left corner and
kept going there to hit four consecutive 3-pointers, pushing
Wisconsin's lead to 61-46 with 4:31 remaining. His shooting keyed a
26-2 run that broke open what had been a defensive battle.
"I just stood in the corner," Bryant joked, adding, "Kowske
was setting good screens, I was trying to move on the baseline and
get open. They were able to get me the ball."
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Fresno State NCAA Team Report
Wisconsin NCAA Team Report
Chat: NCAA Tourney
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