LAHAINA, Hawaii - Think of Gonzaga this season and Matt Bouldin immediately comes to mind. You might also think of Steve Gray. It's easy to spot both of them. They have the worst hair in college basketball.
The University of Wisconsin men's basketball team had no answer for the Bulldogs' bushy guard tandem, who combined to score 33 points to lead Gonzaga to an 74-61 victory over the Badgers in a second-round game at the Maui Invitational Tuesday night.
Gonzaga (4-1) will play Cincinnati Wednesday in the tournament title game at the Lahaina Civic Center. Wisconsin (3-1) faces Maryland in a third-place game.
Sophomore forward Jordan Taylor scored a career-high 19 points and junior forward Jon Leuer added 18 to lead the Badgers, who could never wrestle control of the game away from Gonzaga after the athletic Bulldogs took command midway through the first half.
Bouldin scored 18 points, Gray added 15 points and 7-foot sophomore center Robert Sacre had 13 points for the Bulldogs. While Bouldin and Gray were effective on the perimeter and inside, Sacre was particularly effective inside for the Bulldogs, who had a whopping 42-18 advantage in points scored in the paint.
Gonzaga also did an excellent job defensively on UW point guard Trevon Hughes. The star of the Badgers' 65-61 victory over Arizona in a first-round game Monday night finished with 10 points.
Wisconsin tried to rally in the second half but Gonzaga answered each time.
After Leuer scored four points during a 6-0 run that cut the deficit to 58-52 with 9 minutes left, Bouldin dropped in a 3. After the Badgers cut it to 60-54 after another Leuer bucket with 7:41 left, Sacre hit a jump shot from the paint and was fouled by Keaton Nankivil. Sacre made the free throw to give the Bulldogs a 63-54 led with 7:34 to go.
The Bulldogs put the game away with an 8-0 run that gave them an 71-56 lead following a Bouldin bucket with 3:13 left. The Badgers missed five straight shots during that run.
Gonzaga finished the game shooting 47.2 percent overall and 27.3 percent from 3. They also had an 11-4 advantage in points off turnovers and an 11-0 edge in fast-break points.
Wisconsin shot 39 percent overall and 27.3 percent from 3.
Gonzaga broke open a close game in the first half when the Bulldogs made four straight shots as part of a 15-3 run that gave them a 32-19 lead on a Demetri Goodson layup with 6:14 left in the half. Gray, who had 10 first-half points, had six during that run.
Even though Hughes went to the bench with his second foul with 7:27 left in the half, Wisconsin retaliated as Jon Leuer scored four points during a 6-0 run that closed the gap to 32-25 with 4:45 left. Leuer had 10 first-half points.
Taylor, who also had 10 first-half points, hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 38-33 with 2:24 to go in the half, but Gonzaga got in the last word when Gray scored on a layup and Bouldin hit a 3 to make it 43-33 at the break. It was the most points Wisconsin has given up in a first half this season.
GONZAGA 74, WISCONSIN 61
WISCONSIN (3-1) - Leuer 8-17 2-2 18, Nankivil 2-9 1-2 5, Hughes 4-8 0-0 10, Bohannon 2-8 2-2 7, Jarmusz 0-3 2-2 2, Evans 0-3 0-0 0, Taylor 7-10 3-6 19, Bruesewitz 0-0 0-0 0, Wilson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-59 10-14 61.
GONZAGA (4-1) - Harris 5-12 1-2 12, Sacre 3-4 7-7 13, Goodson 3-6 3-5 9, Bouldin 5-13 7-7 18, Gray 7-12 1-2 15, Arop 0-0 0-0 0, Vilarino 0-1 0-0 0, Gibbs 0-0 0-0 0, Olynyk 0-2 2-2 2, Hart 0-0 0-0 0, Kong 2-3 0-0 5, Foster 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-53 21-25 74.
Halftime - Gonzaga 43-33. 3-Point Goals - Wisconsin 5-24 (Taylor 2-3, Hughes 2-5, Bohannon 1-7, Wilson 0-1, Jarmusz 0-2, Nankivil 0-3, Leuer 0-3), Gonzaga 3-11 (Harris 1-2, Kong 1-2, Bouldin 1-3, Goodson 0-1, Gray 0-3). Fouled Out - None. Rebounds - Wisconsin 31 (Bohannon 8), Gonzaga 38 (Harris 8). Assists - Wisconsin 12 (Leuer 4), Gonzaga 10 (Bouldin 5). Total Fouls - Wisconsin 19, Gonzaga 18. A - 2,400.
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