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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -- Wisconsin wondered if LSU could handle its defensive pressure. The Badgers got the answer they wanted.
Eighth-seeded Wisconsin, a plodding but productive bunch, made
it an all-Big Ten final in the West Regional with a 61-48 victory
over the fourth-seeded Tigers on Thursday night.
As they did in beating Fresno State in the first round and then
upsetting top-seeded Arizona, the Badgers relied on defense.
|  | | Wisconsin's Charlie Wills plays in-your-face defense against LSU's Lamont Roland, who scored just five points. |
"We were just as confident coming into this game as we were the
last two," guard Jon Bryant said. "We kept saying, we're not sure
some of these teams have seen defense like we can play. That's just
our style -- get in their face and make them make plays."
The Badgers (21-13) will face Purdue (24-9) on Saturday for a
spot in the Final Four. The Boilermakers beat Gonzaga 75-66.
Coupled with Michigan State's victory over Syracuse in the
Midwest, the Big Ten has three teams in the final eight.
Bryant led Wisconsin with 16 points. Stromile Swift and Jabari
Smith each scored 12 for LSU (28-6).
LSU, which used its speed and the frontline duo of Swift and
Smith to beat Southeast Missouri State and Texas, hit a wall
against Wisconsin.
The 48 points were the fewest scored by LSU this season. The
Tigers' previous low was 57 in a loss to Florida in January.
"Their defense was aggressive the whole 40 minutes and our
offense wasn't good the whole 40 minutes," Smith said. "We played
well in spurts, but in the Sweet 16, you can't play well in spurts.
You've got to play well all the way through."
Wisconsin coach Dick Bennett said about the only teams who are
used to the Badgers' defense are those in the Big Ten.
"I attribute a lot of this to playing in the Big Ten, because
every game is like this," Bennett said. "It wasn't pretty. We
were not particularly sharp offensively, but we made them earn
everything and when they were unable to, we capitalized. I think
that's pretty much the story."
Wisconsin scored the final 11 points of the first half to take a
22-14 lead. LSU went scoreless over the final 5:03.
Wisconsin took twice as many shots as LSU in the first half and
the Tigers had as many turnovers as points. LSU finished with 23
turnovers to Wisconsin's 9.
It got uglier in the second half.
An offensive rebound basket by Lamont Roland got LSU within
26-18, but the Badgers used a 10-0 run to take a 36-18 lead with
13:44 left. Bryant's 3-pointer got the run going and Duany Duany's
3-pointer ended it. Bryant also scored on a layup and Maurice
Linton added a jumper from just inside the arc.
"Teams will take quick shots," said forward Andy Kowske, who
along with Mark Vershaw did the defensive work on Swift and Smith.
"They don't want to work against our defense. I think that's what
they were doing in the second half.
"I think they played with less zest in the second half. They
got some points, but it was mostly off offensive rebounds, not
within their offense."
Wisconsin advanced despite missing 18 of its first 23 shots and
shooting 38 percent. But while the Badgers were having trouble
scoring in the game's first 15 minutes, LSU was having a difficult
time holding onto the ball.
The turnovers also kept the ball away from Swift and Smith. The
pair got off just three shots between them in the first half and
Swift finished with just five shots.
Swift's only attempt in the first half was a 3-pointer for the
game's opening basket.
A 3-pointer by Bryant got Wisconsin's late first-half run
rolling. Vershaw added two free throws, Bryant scored on a reverse
layup, Mike Kelley scored off a steal and finished the half with a
pass to Julian Swartz for a layup with four seconds left.
Wisconsin, which finished sixth in the Big Ten during the
regular season, got into the NCAA Tournament with a late-season
run. The Badgers have won 10 of their last 13 games, with the three
losses all to Michigan State.
Wisconsin has won three tournament games for the first time since winning the 1941 national title.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Wisconsin NCAA Team Report
LSU NCAA Team Report
Chat: NCAA Tourney
Police use tear gas to quell Sweet 16 celebration
Gone-zaga: Boilermakers pop Bulldogs' bubble
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Coach Dick Bennett credits the Badgers' success to the Big Ten's tough play.
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Mark Vershaw goes over the strategy against LSU.
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