Kaminsky’s record night leads Badgers
MADISON, Wis. — Frank Kaminsky scored a school-record 43 points, and No. 12 Wisconsin shot a blistering 59 percent from the field to beat pesky North Dakota 103-85 on Tuesday night.
Kaminsky, a junior who became a starter this season, got the record with about a minute left after driving the lane and splitting two defenders for an easy layup.
Sam Dekker added 19 for the Badgers (4-0), who overcame a career-high 37 points — 26 in the first half — from athletic sharpshooter Troy Huff.
Kaminsky’s dunk helped Wisconsin gradually turn its 10-point halftime lead into a 76-59 advantage on North Dakota (1-1) with 10:32 left.
The Badgers came out victorious after Kaminsky and Huff traded buckets much of the night. Kaminsky finished 16 of 19 shooting, hitting all six of his 3s.
Huff was 15 of 22 from the field, and added nine rebounds.
Remarkably, Kaminsky had an even bigger night, breaking the school single-game record of 42 previously held by Ken Barnes (1965) and Michael Finley (1994).
A week after limiting Florida to 53 points, Wisconsin went up and down the Kohl Center court with a Big Sky Conference team with the 7-foot Kaminsky unlikely leading the way. Sure Kaminsky had 16 points last week in a win over Green Bay, but few fans saw this outburst coming.
Kaminsky went to the bench with about 5 minutes left with 41 points, prompting groans from the Wisconsin student section. “We want Frank! We Want Frank!” they chanted before a timeout with 3 minutes left.
They got their wish.
Kaminsky got a standing ovation from the appreciative crowd after setting the record, and some good-natured heckling after the game from teammates Dekker and Traevon Jackson (14 points, eight assists).
Lost in the excitement over Kaminsky’s outburst — his previous career high was 19 — was a subpar defensive effort for the Badgers, who had trouble containing North Dakota off the dribble. Or Huff from anywhere on the court, for that matter.
Given that Huff is from Milwaukee, and his mother, Theresa Huff, is Wisconsin women’s basketball career rebounding leader, it would make sense that Huff would want to play well in Madison.
And as if he needed any more incentive, North Dakota coach Brian Jones decided to sit his first-stringers, including Huff, to start the game.
It worked, to a point.
The more talented Badgers wore down North Dakota on the offensive end. Dekker in transition went behind the back on the dribble, split two defenders and threw in a one-handed dunk for a 60-47 lead early in the second half.
Bronson Koenig hit an open 3 from the wing after Huff couldn’t close out after appearing to get a cramp in his left leg for a 12-point lead.
North Dakota hung around, but by the latter part of the second half, the game was all about whether Kaminsky would make school history.
Jaron Nash had 19 points, while Aaron Anderson added 11 for North Dakota.