Record crowd sees Herd win 127-118

Paris+Bass%2C+Wisconsin+Herd

Jacob Link / Advance-Titan — The Herd’s Paris Bass stares down his opponent after a dunk in Wisconsin’s 127-118 win Jan. 18.

Jacob Link, Co-Sports Editor

The Wisconsin Herd snapped their four-game skid after defeating the Westchester Knicks 127-118 Jan. 18 in front of a record crowd at the Oshkosh Arena.

School groups from around the area packed into the stadium, which holds 3,500 fans, and an additional 700 seats had to be added to the arena to fit the record 4138 fans in attendance.

The two teams traded baskets to begin the fourth quarter until a Obadiah Noel layup jump started a 20-6 run that saw the Herd’s lead trimmed to 12 points. After a Knicks timeout, Westchester (2-5) went on a 10-3 run to cut the lead to seven points with just over a minute to play in the game. A Knicks turnover and a pair of Jordan Bone free throws gave Wisconsin (4-4) a comfortable lead with 40 seconds left, but it was a Sandro Mamukelashvili dunk that sealed the win for the Herd.

Wisconsin’s Jontay Porter opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer to increase the Herd lead to 17 points. Rob Edwards hit a 3-pointer with seven minutes to go in the quarter as the Herd advantage reached over 20 points for the first time in the game. Wisconsin would then go on a 13-0 run to go up 95-66 for what would be their largest lead of the night. The Herd lead remained over 20 points for the rest of the third quarter as Wisconsin led 107-80 at the break.

The opening quarter was very back and forth, featuring five lead changes in the first seven minutes of the game. With under five minutes to play in the quarter, Wisconsin went on a 9-0 run behind five points from Iverson Molinar to put the Herd up 22-17. Westchester would cut the lead to one point, but the Herd outscored the Knicks 7-2 in the final minute of the quarter to go into the break leading by six points.

Westchester started the second quarter on a 14-0 run, with seven of those points coming from Nuni Omot, to go up 41-33 with just under nine minutes to play in the half. Out of a timeout, the Herd went on a 15-0 run thanks to eight straight points from Brandon Randolph, who finished with 14 points, and recaptured the lead. The Wisconsin advantage reached double-digits after an Elijah Hughes dunk and continued to grow for the rest of the half as the Herd entered the locker room up 69-55.

The Herd, who had six players in double figures, were led by Jordan Bone who had a game-high 25 points to go along with five assists. Mamukelashvili had a double-double in the game with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Porter had a double-double in the game as well, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Edwards and Hughes finished with 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Wisconsin’s Lindell Wigginton, the Herds second leading scorer, did not play in the game due to an undisclosed injury.

For the Knicks, DaQuan Jefferies finished with 25 points while Noel finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Center Garrison Brooks finished with a double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Off the bench, Omot and Melvin Frazier Jr. finished with 18 and 14 points, respectively.

With the win, the Herd improved to ninth in the Eastern Conference and will play the eight-place team Raptors 905 (4-4) Jan. 21 at the Oshkosh Arena at 7 p.m.