Wisconsin holds off Marquette in an in-state square off - NCAA HOOPS

(MILWAUKEE) Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said the win over in-state rival Marquette reminded him of playground basketball.

There must have been plenty of misses and defense when Ryan played while growing up in suburban Philadelphia.

Josh Gasser scored 12 points on four 3-pointers, while 7-footer Frank Kaminsky added 15 points and 10 rebounds in the No. 2 Badgers' 49-38 victory.

Wisconsin (8-1) shot 32 percent while contending with a 2-3 zone defense by the undersized Golden Eagles, who don't have a starter taller than 6-foot-7.

''Playground days. You want to stay on the playground. You've got to figure out a way to beat the other team,'' Ryan said. Marquette ''had a plan, they worked their plan; we worked enough shots to get it done.

''I love playing in those kinds of games,'' Ryan said.

Wisconsin bounced back from an 80-70 loss at home earlier in the week to No. 4 Duke. This victory reminded the Badgers that they had some things to work out against the zone - especially when shots weren't falling from the outside.

Wisconsin was 8 of 30 (26 percent) from 3-point range on the afternoon, including 4 of 16 in the second half.

Smart move by Marquette given the decided size disadvantage.

''They packed that zone in pretty tight, tried to keep the ball out of Frank's hands,'' Gasser said. ''We were fortunate to take a lot of outside jumpers, and they weren't going for the majority of the game, but we happened to make enough to win.''

Two foul shots by Sandy Cohen III with 8:57 left cut the lead to 35-33 to get upset-minded fans cheering at the Bradley Center after Marquette (4-4) chipped away at a 10-point halftime deficit.

The steady Gasser hit his 3-pointer on the next trip down the floor, and the Badgers fended off Marquette for their second straight victory in the in-state rivalry.

Marquette went 0 of 6 from the field with two turnovers in the next 6-plus minutes after Cohen's foul shots before Matt Carlino hit a 3. He followed with two foul shots to draw within 44-38 with 2:05 left.

But it was too much to overcome against the bigger Badgers.

Wisconsin had a 25-15 lead at the half. According to the Badgers, it was the fewest by either team in a half in the series since at least 1997.

''I thought we were able to do a pretty good job defensively. Our offense let us down,'' Marquette coach Steve Wojciechowski said. ''Poor decisions that led to some really tough shots when we should have kicked or made one more pass, or turnovers.''

MATTY ICE

Carlino finished with 18 points for Marquette, which hung around despite shooting 28 percent. The senior transfer from BYU is averaging 13.8 points

''We have one established college scorer in Matt Carlino,'' Wojciechowski said. ''The rest of the guys are trying to find their offensive identity.''

BOARDED UP

The Golden Eagles were outrebounded 41-28, including 14-5 on the offensive end. Yet Wisconsin looked out of sorts at times with the ball in the second half, forced to settle for outside shots. The Badgers had built a steady advantage with 6-foot-8 Nigel Hayes working effectively in the high post in the first half.

Hayes finished with five points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

ON DEKKER

Sam Dekker had just two points but added five offensive rebounds and three assists. He started after missing two days of practice with a lingering left ankle injury.

''He played some D, he got on the glass, he was active ... Sam gave us some good minutes,'' Ryan said.

TIP-INS

Wisconsin: The reception for the Badgers was more hostile than in their last visit to Milwaukee, where the team won its first two games in last season's NCAA tournament run to the Final Four.

Marquette: The 6-7 Taylor had six points and five rebounds, while 6-6 Juan Anderson finished with 10 boards. They played solidly despite the size disadvantage against Wisconsin.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin: At Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Marquette: Hosts Arizona State on Dec. 16.

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OLE MISS DROPS DAX AND RIVAL, #4 MISS ST, IN EGG BOWL

OLE MISS SOLIDIFIES BAMA FOR PLAYOFFS WITH WIN OVER RIVAL IN EGG BOWL, dropping #4 at the time, MISS ST

OXFORD, Miss. (AP) Mississippi's quarterback had a hurt ankle and its two top receivers were out with leg injuries.

The offensive line was mostly a mess, with players constantly shifting spots because of injuries or ineffective play.

And despite all that, the Rebels managed to play their best game of the season.

The unlikely duo of Jaylen Walton and Jordan Wilkins - along with coach Hugh Freeze's deep dive into the playbook - pushed No. 18 Ole Miss to a convincing 31-17 victory over No. 4 Mississippi State on Saturday in the Egg Bowl.

''I was willing to throw everything we had at them,'' Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. ''And we had some more if we needed it.''

The most surprising moment came when Wilkins, a freshman running back, took a pitch from Bo Wallace and then threw a perfect 31-yard touchdown pass to Cody Core that gave the Rebels a 31-17 lead with 9:14 remaining. It proved to be an insurmountable margin for Mississippi State.

It was just the second throw of Wilkins' career.

Walton had a 91-yard touchdown run and had a career-high 148 yards rushing on 14 carries.

Wallace threw for 296 yards despite completing just 13 of 30 passes. He sprained his ankle in last week's loss to Arkansas and wasn't moving very well on Saturday. But he made enough plays to help the Rebels win the Egg Bowl for the second time in his three seasons as the starter.

''I knew this game would define my legacy,'' Wallace said. ''I had to win this game to be remembered like I want. ... I hope they'll remember as a guy who gave his all ever single game and won a lot of games.''

Ole Miss (9-3, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) led 7-3 at halftime before its offense got going in the second half and finished with 532 yards. It's the 10th time in 11 seasons the home team has won the Egg Bowl.

''It wasn't about us spoiling the year for them as much as reclaiming what we think is ours,'' Freeze said. ''(Mississippi State) had a good season in a great league.''

The loss by Mississippi State (10-2, 6-2, No. 4 CFP) means Alabama clinched the SEC Western Division. Dak Prescott threw for 282 yards and a touchdown.

It's the first time both teams came into the Egg Bowl ranked since 1999.

The loss is a severe blow to Mississippi State's hope of advancing to the inaugural College Football Playoff. De'Runnya Wilson caught eight passes for 117 yards and Fred Ross added six catches for 103 yards, but the Bulldogs were undone by an aggressive Ole Miss offense that wasn't afraid to take chances.

''This is as tough as it gets,'' Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen said. ''I do not care about the stakes. This game is for bragging right in the state. It is the most important game we play. So it is obviously a devastating loss.''

Mullen said there was ''plenty of blame to go around'' but saved the brunt of his criticism for the defense.

Walton finished with a career-high 148 yards rushing on just 14 carries. Ole Miss tight end Evan Engram caught five passes for 176 yards

Ole Miss had lost three straight conference games - including last week's 30-0 setback at Arkansas - before breaking through with a convincing win.

''People thought we wouldn't be up for this game, but it's the Egg Bowl,'' Walton said. ''How can you not get up for the Egg Bowl?''

The Rebels came into the game giving up just 13.5 points per game, which ranked No. 1 in the country. Ole Miss lived up to the stats, using a swarming defense to contain Mississippi State's running game.

But the Rebels' offense took a while to get going.

One promising early drive ended when Wallace's errant pass was intercepted in the end zone by Taveze Calhoun. But it was one of the few mistakes the senior made. His 1-yard run late in the first quarter helped the Rebels take a 7-3 lead into halftime.

The third quarter didn't look anything like the first half, with the teams trading long pass completions to set up quick scoring opportunities. Wallace completed an 83-yard pass to Engram - which was the longest for the program since 2008 - to set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Jeremy Liggins that gave the Rebels a 14-10 lead.

But it was Walton's 91-yard run that really gave the Rebels momentum. The play was designed for the 5-foot-8, 166-pounder to run right, but after a few steps he changed directions, shooting through the left side of the line before breaking a few arm tackles and streaking down the left sideline for the score and a 24-10 lead.

''I made one hard cut to see what I could get,'' Walton said. ''I remember one guy missed me and then there was nothing there.''

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