Davis leads No. 23 Wisconsin past Marquette 89-76

Updated Dec. 4, 2021 3:01 p.m. ET

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Madison, Wis. (AP) — Johnny Davis scored 25 points to lead four Wisconsin players in double figures as the No. 23 Badgers downed in-state rival Marquette 89-76 on Saturday.

Davis, who averaged seven points a game last season coming off the bench, kept up his torrid start to the season for Wisconsin (7-1). He’s now averaging more than 20 points.

Marquette (7-2) regularly presses and forces opponents into 16 turnovers a game. But Wisconsin was largely unfazed by the full-court pressure. The Badgers finished with 11 turnovers, just two more than their season average.

Brad Davison scored 20 points for Wisconsin, while Steven Crowl and Chucky Hepburn each scored 15.

Justin Lewis scored 14 to lead Marquette, while Oso Ighodaro and Darryl Morsell each scored 11.

Wisconsin was sluggish, hitting just 5 of 19 from the field (26%) in a game that started with 13 lead changes and six ties. But the Badgers began to take control in the second half, hitting 11 of 12 as they turned a one-point advantage into a 59-44 lead.

Marquette cut the lead to single digits briefly. But the Badgers then ran away with the game.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Wisconsin, which made its debut at No. 23 in the most recent poll, chalks up another quality win after defeating Texas A&M, Houston, Saint Mary’s and Georgia Tech.

BIG PICTURE

Marquette: The Golden Eagles are off to a better-than-expected start under new coach Shaka Smart. But it wasn’t a pretty second half for Smart, who grew up in a Madison suburb.

Wisconsin: The Badgers are exceeding expectations, with Davis leading the way as a sophomore.

UP NEXT

Marquette: At Kansas State on Wednesday.

Wisconsin: Hosts Indiana on Wednesday.

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

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Brad Davison

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