Badgers nipped by Bulldogs, 74-61 in Maui semis

UW will face Maryland in the consolation game Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.

Jordan Taylor (11) posted a career-high 19 points vs. Gonzaga.

Nov. 24, 2009

LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Wisconsin got a career-high 19 points from sophomore Jordan Taylor and 18 from junior Jon Leuer, but it wasn't enough to hold off a talented Gonzaga squad in the semifinals of the EA Sports Maui Invitational.

Gonzaga boasted four players in double figures, led by Matt Bouldin's 18 points, as the Bulldogs advanced to the championship game of the tournament with a 74-61 victory over the Badgers on Tuesday night.

Gonzaga 74, Wisconsin 61	1st	2nd	Final
Gonzaga (4-1, 0-0 West Coast)	43	31	74
Wisconsin (3-1, 0-0 Big Ten)	33	28	61
Statistical Leaders
Points: Jordan Taylor (UW) 19 \| Matt Bouldin (Gonz) 18
Rebounds: Jason Bohannon (UW) 8 \| Elias Harris (Gonz) 8
Assists: Jon Leuer (UW) 4 \| Matt Bouldin (Gonz) 5

Steven Gray scored 15 points, Robert Sacre added 13 and Elias Harris notched 12 points for Gonzaga (4-1), which will meet Cincinnati in Wednesday night's championship. The Badgers (3-1) will take on Maryland in the consolation game Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

Leading by 10 at halftime, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 14 when Demetri Goodson delivered a coast-to-coast layup with 16:41 to play. Gonzaga utilized a 42-18 advantage in the paint and pulled away when Wisconsin struggled to knock down an outside jumper in the second half.

The Badgers cut it to 10 four times and finally trimmed it to six points on a layup by Jon Leuer with just more than nine minutes to go. However, UW would watch Gonzaga go on an 11-2 run over a four and a half minute span, opening up a 71-56 lead and coasting from there.

Taylor knocked down seven shots on the night including a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. A day after scoring 24 points in a win over Arizona, Trevon Hughes chipped in 10 points. Jason Bohannon posted a career eight rebounds to lead Wisconsin.

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The AP contributed to this story