GAME NOTES: Fresh off a statement victory, the 13th-ranked Wisconsin Badgers have traveled to Minneapolis for a Big Ten battle with the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Wisconsin has only lost one game since December 9th, and the club is still flying high after beating conference power Indiana on Thursday by a 62-49 final. The Badgers trail surprising Purdue by a half game in the league standings heading into today's action. Wisconsin has played six true road games this season, and four have resulted in victory. Minnesota is 8-2 at home, but two of the three conference home games have resulted in defeat. The Golden Gophers are coming off a much-needed 77-65 victory over Michigan in Ann Arbor on Thursday, as the triumph halted a three-game skid. Minnesota owns a 97-86 advantage in the all-time series with Wisconsin, but the Badgers have won 11 of the last 12 meetings.

The top offensive performer for Wisconsin is Trevor Hughes, as he is averaging 13.2 ppg. Brian Butch is close behind with his 12.9 ppg, and he is tops on the boards with 7.7 rpg. The third and final double-digit scorer is Marcus Landry, as he is posting 11.0 ppg on 51.5 percent shooting from the floor. Through 20 outings, the Badgers are generating 69.7 ppg while limiting the opposition to 54.5 ppg on 38.1 percent shooting from the field. Key for the Badgers has been rebounding, as it is pulling down nearly seven boards per game more than opponents. Hughes scored 16 points for Wisconsin in the thrilling win over Indiana on Thursday, and Landry had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Flowers pitched in 10 points for the Badgers, who only turned the ball over six times and limited the Hoosiers to 33.3 percent shooting from the field.

Minnesota has a few talented performers in the mix, and Dan Coleman leads the way with 14.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg. Lawrence McKenzie is contributing 11.3 ppg, and Spencer Tollackson adds 10.7 ppg. The Golden Gophers are generating 73.7 ppg while limiting their opponents to 63.1 ppg. In Big Ten games alone, however, they are scoring 69.6 ppg and giving up 69.3 ppg. In the victory over Michigan on Thursday, McKenzie paced a balanced offensive attack with 18 points. Coleman added 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Lawrence Westbrook contributed 15 points. Tollackson rounded out a foursome of double-digit scorers with 14 points for Minnesota, which shot 58.5 percent from the floor and limited the Wolverines to 36.2 percent.

Wisconsin is playing with a wealth of confidence right now so expect the Badgers to pull away down the stretch to earn their eighth conference win of the season.