Field Level Media
Nov 6, 2018
D'Mitrick Trice scored 21 points, Ethan Happ posted a triple-double and the Wisconsin Badgers rolled to an 85-63 season-opening win over the visiting Coppin State Eagles.
Happ, a fifth-year senior who was on the 2019 Naismith Trophy preseason watch list for the third straight year, finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists.
Trice, who missed the majority of last season due to injury, hit 7-of-13 field goal attempts, including 5-of-9 from 3-point range. Brevin Pritzl added 16 points.
Lamar Morgan scored 15 points and Taqwain Drummond added 11 points for Coppin State, a Baltimore-based Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member.
With three starters at 6-foot-6 or taller, the Eagles held their own off the glass and were outrebounded by only a 37-29 margin.
Wisconsin converted 23 of 26 free throws, compared to 10 of 16 for Coppin State.
The Badgers are coming off a sub-.500 2017-18 regular season that was followed by a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
Down 22 at halftime, Coppin State pulled within 52-37 on Drummond's 3-pointer with 17:01 remaining, but Wisconsin ran off 10 straight points capped by Brad Davison's 3-pointer.
Morgan scored the next nine Coppin State points as the Eagles made it 70-50, but the Badgers did not allow them to get any closer.
Chad Andrews-Fulton scored six quick points and the Eagles jumped out to an early 11-6 lead.
The Badgers responded however, and Trice's 3-pointer gave Wisconsin its first lead, 14-11, during a 22-2 run.
Kobe King sparked a 13-0 Badgers surge and Wisconsin went into halftime with a 49-27 lead.
Wisconsin shot 50 percent (14-for-28) from the field in the half, including 52.9 percent (9 of 17) from beyond the arc, and made all 12 of its free-throw attempts.
Trice scored 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. Pritzl had 11 points.
--Field Level Media