Wisconsin pulls away from UW-Oshkosh with first-half run in 82–70 exhibition win

MADISON — The mighty Titans from UW-Oshkosh, last year’s NCAA Division III national runner-up, made things interesting in the first half of Friday night’s exhibition against Wisconsin at the Kohl Center.

With the game tied at 14–14 with 11:41 left in the first half, Wisconsin responded, however. A huge run by the Badgers that ended the first half would ultimately be the deciding factor in an 82–70 win.

Wisconsin’s major scoring spree, a 33–14 run to end the half, allowed the team to pull away to a 47–28 halftime lead. More specifically, UW sprinted out on a 23–4 run in just under a six-minute span that added some breathing room.

Four Badgers scored in double-figures. Sophomore guard Brad Davison registered a team-high 16 points plus four rebounds and three assists, while redshirt senior forward Ethan Happ tallied 13 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Yes, that also included one three-pointer.

Senior forward Khalil Iverson also contributed 13 points with three rebounds and assists each. Sophomore forward Nate Reuvers also had 11 points and five rebounds.

Wisconsin shot 46.2 percent from the field for the game, including 51.4 percent in the first 20 minutes. The Badgers only connected on 12 of 30 shots (40 percent) in the second half, however, and only hit on four of 16 attempts from three-point range overall.

For what it’s worth, UW also had 28 fast-break points in the game.

Oshkosh junior forward Adam Fravert led all scorers with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting while also recording six rebounds. David Vlotho contributed 17 points and seven rebounds.

Wisconsin built a 57–30 lead with 16:44 left in the game after a Happ layup, and the lead never seemed to be in peril. Oshkosh closed the gap to end the game, outscoring the Badgers 40–25.

The Titans finished the game on a 20–8 run in the final 6:08, though it appeared UW worked in more reserves during that stretch.

Wisconsin opens its 2018–19 regular season at the Kohl Center on Tuesday against Coppin State (7 p.m., BTN Plus).