DENVER — Basketball players are just bigger in the Big 10.
Wisconsin's depth, shooting and size — emphasized by 7-footers Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter — proved to be too much for Montana on Thursday at Ball Arena. The 14th-seeded Grizzlies battled and were within four points in the second half, but the third-seeded Badgers, who were the runner-up in the Big 10 Conference tournament, ultimately bullied Montana into an 85-66 loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Griz scrapped to keep the game close throughout the first half and into the second. After the Badgers got out to a 9-5 lead to start the game, Brandon Whitney, who was the Big Sky Conference tournament MVP last week for Montana, muscled up a layup to cut the deficit to 9-7 at the 14:46 mark.
Montana then got within one, 11-10, on a Te'Jon Sawyer basket moments later, and it was still a two-point game, 15-13, with 11:24 to play in the first half. But the Badgers started to take control, as All-American John Tonje converted a four-point play when he was fouled on a 3-pointer and Xavier Amos scored to make it 21-13 in a blink.
Joe Pridgen quelled the run with a basket for Montana, but Tonje made another 3 to give Wisconsin a 24-15 lead.
The Griz, though, kept hanging around. Kai Johnson made a 3-pointer, Pridgen threw down a dunk and another Johnson bucket got Montana back within 27-22 at the 6:37 mark of the first half.
But Wisconsin eventually pushed its advantage to double digits and led by as many as 11 points, 38-27, in the first half when Winter made a jumper with 2:08 remaining. Montana's Jensen Bradtke answered with a 3, and the teams traded baskets to close out the half, and the Badgers led 40-32 at the break.
Montana's Johnson and Sawyer had eight points each in the first half, while Crowl had 10 first-half points for the Badgers, who scored 20 points in the paint in the first 20 minutes.
Pridgen made back-to-back driving buckets to start the second half to bring the Griz within 40-36. And Montana was still in the game with 15 minutes to play following a 3 by Johnson and fast-break layup by Money Williams, who was held scoreless in the first half, that made it 51-47 and brought the Griz crowd to a swell.
But Wisconsin's Carter Gilmore quickly quieted the crowd and kick-started a Badgers run. The senior forward made a 3-pointer, drew an offensive foul on Pridgen, his fourth personal, and scored again out of a timeout to make it 56-47. Winter then canned another 3 to give the Badgers a 59-47 lead, their largest of the game to that point, with 12:41 to play.
It turned into a 14-3 Wisconsin run that saw the Badgers grow the lead to 65-50. Their advantage got to as many as 18 points, 72-54, following a pair of Tonje free throws.
Montana got back within 74-62 with five minutes to play, but Wisconsin answered with a 9-0 run to secure the win.
Johnson and Sawyer each scored 15 points to lead Montana, and Pridgen had 12. The Grizzlies shot 39.7% for the game compared to Wisconsin's 55.4% performance.
Five Badgers finished in double figures. Blackwell scored a game-high 19 points and Crowl had 18 on 8-of-10 shooting, while Tonje added 15, Amos 11 and Winter 10.
Montana ends its season with a 25-10 overall record, while Wisconsin (27-9) will play VCU or BYU in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday.
