Badgers Dominate Huskers in Alaska Finale

Fairbanks, Alaska--Wisconsin scored the game's first eight points and never looked back in a 78-41 rout of Nebraska in the fifth-place game at the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Huskers scoring output for the game was a record-low for a Danny Nee-coached team as was the 15-point first half scoring output. Overall, Nebraska's 41 points were the fewest it has scored since a 41-39 loss to Kansas State in the first round of the 1984 Big Eight Tournament. The 37-point loss was the Huskers' worst since a 93-53 drubbing at Oklahoma State on Feb. 18, 1995.

After Wisconsin opened the game with an 8-0 run, Nebraska cut the lead to 13-7 at the 13:47 mark. The Badgers responded with a 15-0 run to lead 28-7 with 7:55 left in the first half and led by 27 points at the half.

Nebraska scored the first 10 points of the second half to cut the lead to 17 points with 15:07 to play, but Wisconsin quickly regained control and finished the game with a 24-8 burst to win by 37.

The Huskers were led in scoring by Chad Johnson who scored nine points while Venson Hamilton had seven. Hamilton also grabbed four rebounds, giving him 778 in his career, just four short of Leroy Chalk's school record total of 782. Hamilton, who finished the tournament with 49 points and 22 rebounds was named to the 10-player Top of the World Classic All-Tournament team.

Nebraska is next in action on Saturday afternoon in a 1:05 p.m. game against North Carolina A&T at the Devaney Center.