58 » VARSITY
JANUA RY 17, 2013
AJ MAST
don't have a scared bone in my body.''
It was scary what Zeller was able to do in the
first half. He went 8-for-8 and scored 18 points.
"We let him get going,'' Gard said. "We actually played him too tight on the perimeter early
in the game and he was able to drive around us.
"He's obviously a great player and he has been
doing that to a lot of people. But in the second
half, we played smaller and that might have
bothered him because we were a little quicker.
"Playing with the lead, we were able to stretch
possessions out. And we did a better job of taking away gaps and making his touches; not giving him as much room when he touched it.''
Zeller scored only five points in the second
half.
"Footwork is so important in this game,'' Ryan
said. "I thought we did a much better job moving
our feet and getting defensive angles in the second half and then he (Zeller) had a tougher time
maybe getting his looks. It was all about our feet
and we got some help to him.''
In many facets, the Badgers are hitting their
stride.
"We've had to weather some ups and downs,
and it hasn't always been pretty at times,'' Gard
said. "But I think this group is moving in the
right direction and this was a huge statement.''
The players made some of their own.
"Who goes on the road and beats No. 2?'' Evans posed. "We came together collectively ― offensively and defensive. This is what we knew we
could do for all those doubters out there.''
Dekker asked rhetorically, "What's been the
difference? It's us learning how to play with each
other. We're together on the court and we're
playing confidently. That is what is getting us
W's.''
After the game, Bruesewitz was interviewed at
mid-court by ESPN's Samantha Ponder to a chorus of jeers from a handful of Indiana students.
He couldn't stop grinning.
"He likes this type of environment,'' Gard said.
"He likes the big moments. He likes it when our
backs our against the wall. He's a street fighter.''
He's not the only one in that locker room.
