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Badgers overcome early Wolfpack lead

Wisconsin's Alando Tucker goes up for two during the first half. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Jimmy Golen Associated Press
Wisconsin's Alando Tucker goes up for two during the first half. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Wisconsin Badgers waited for their shots to start falling, waited for something to work on defense. And after playing what might be their worst half of basketball all season, they couldn’t wait any more.

Even before coach Bo Ryan entered the locker room for some halftime adjustments – or maybe just a chewing out – the players discussed their problems among themselves. Then Wisconsin scored 26 of the first 33 points in the second to beat North Carolina State 65-56 and earn a berth in the Syracuse Regional finals of the NCAA Tournament.

“At halftime, guys got after each other a little bit. Guys knew what they had to do,” said guard Sharif Chambliss, who had one point in the first. “The first half was probably one of our worst halves all year. The second half, we knew what we had to do.”

Alando Tucker scored 22 points, getting eight in a row during a 13-0 second-half run that turned a 37-34 deficit into a 10-point lead.

Mike Wilkinson scored 17, the final two on a breakaway dunk with 20 seconds left that secured the victory.

Sixth-seeded Wisconsin (25-8) will play No. 1 seed North Carolina, which held on for a 67-66 victory over fifth-seeded Villanova.

Engin Atsur scored 16 for N.C. State (21-14). The Wolfpack shot 45 percent in the first half to 32 percent in the second, making their first six 3-pointers before hitting just three of the next 16 attempts.

Wisconsin 65, N.C. State 56

North Carolina State (21-14)–Hodge 4-16 6-8 14, Brackman 0-1 0-0 0, Evtimov 2-10 2-2 8, Bennerman 4-6 0-1 10, Atsur 6-12 0-0 16, Grant 1-3 0-0 2, Bethel 0-0 0-0 0, Collins 1-1 0-0 3, Simmons 1-1 1-2 3. Totals 19-50 9-13 56.

Wisconsin (25-8)–Tucker 9-17 4-6 22, Morley 3-5 4-5 10, Wilkinson 5-8 7-8 17, Chambliss 2-4 1-2 7, Hanson 2-5 0-0 6, Nixon 0-0 0-0 0, Chappell 0-0 0-0 0, Helmigk 0-1 2-2 2, Taylor 0-2 1-2 1, Butch 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-42 19-25 65.

Halftime—North Carolina State 30, Wisconsin 21. 3-Point Goals—North Carolina State 9-22 (Atsur 4-8, Bennerman 2-3, Evtimov 2-7, Collins 1-1, Grant 0-1, Hodge 0-2), Wisconsin 4-10 (Chambliss 2-4, Hanson 2-4, Tucker 0-2). Fouled Out—Brackman. Rebounds—North Carolina State 21 (Hodge 5), Wisconsin 35 (Morley 8). Assists—North Carolina State 12 (Hodge 5), Wisconsin 7 (Hanson, Morley 2). Total Fouls—North Carolina State 25, Wisconsin 14. A—30,713.