Wisconsin Badgers power past No. 24 Virginia at Fort Myers Tip-Off
When Wisconsin’s glue guy is scoring on a tip dunk, it’s the Badgers’ night.
Dominating from start to finish, Wisconsin drilled No. 24 Virginia 65-41 in the Fort Myers Tip-Off at a sold-out crowd of 3,500 at Suncoast Arena.
Steven Crowl had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Badgers (3-2) who displayed their dominance with a 48-21 advantage on the boards while also scoring 30 points inside against Virginia’s vaunted defense.
“Going in, we expected a big team and a big crowd for Wisconsin,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “We were either late or behind or second, whether it was post traps or rebounding or lead screens.
“It’s humbling. But we’re in the long game. How can we get better?”
“I felt they ran their offense pretty well,” Virginia guard Reece Beekman said. “They took their time, were patient and made plays. They kind of wore us down.”
Beekman, who led Virginia with 17 points, had a three-point play to bring Virginia within 40-35 with 12:54.
Carter Gilmore’s stat line may have been modest – four points, four rebounds – but his play basically ensured the Cavaliers (4-1) weren’t going to stop Wisconsin on this night.
The Badgers responded with an 11-0 run, highlighted by Gilmore sending Crowl’s shot back home with authority. That brought a roar of approval from the Wisconsin crowd, which accounted for about 75 percent of the fans.
“Sometimes, you need guys like that to give you an energy boost,” Crowl said while point guard Chuckie Hepburn (six assists, no turnovers) added, “That set the tone for the rest of the game. The bench reacted, the crowd reacted.”
Beekman and Andrew Rhode said it’s not something you want to see but they gave Gilmore his due.
“He brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” Beekman said.
Wisconsin Greg Gard said Gilmore is a glue guy.
“He brings our guys together with his communication,” Gard said. “He has a toughness and mentality and holds people accountable. You need those guys. You look for that heartbeat. You have to have guys with that heart and soul.
“People in the Midwest who give him crap don’t know basketball.”
The Badgers led 28-18 at halftime despite Chuckie Hepburn and forward Tyler Wahl going a combined 0 of 12 from the field.
Both Gard and Bennett thought Wisconsin’s games against physical teams in No. 7 Tennessee and Providence prepared the Badgers for the Cavaliers.
Because Wisconsin played strong inside and dominated the boards, it opened up the outside where Wisconsin hit 8-of-18 shots from three-point land.
“I think for us, the thing was to be more physical,” Crowl said. “The coaches did a great job with us on that. We showed that tonight.
“This is the first step.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Wisconsin overpowers Virginia to win at Fort Myers Tip-Off
