Wisconsin players hold their trophy after defeating Oklahoma 69-56 in the championship match of the Battle 4 Atlantis basketball tournament last night. (AP Photo/Tim Aylen)
By RENALDO DORSETT
Sports Reporter
rdorsett@tribunemedia.net
The tournament championship bid for Grand Bahamian Buddy Hield and his Oklahoma Sooners at the Battle 4 Atlantis came up just short against one of the top teams in all of NCAA basketball.
The No 2 ranked Wisconsin Badgers took the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis with a 69-56 win over the Oklahoma Sooners last night at the Imperial Arena in the tournament finale. Hield finished with nine points, all in the first half, and six rebounds.
Frank Kaminsky led four Badgers in double figures with a game high of 17 points and eight rebounds. He was named tournament MVP. Traevon Jackson finished with 13 points and eight assists, Duje Dukan scored 13 and Sam Dekker chipped in with 11.
Dinjiyl Walker came off the bench to lead the Sooners with 10 points, and Isiah Cousins added nine. The Badgers shot 43 per cent from the field and 32 per cent from beyond the arch.
Wisconsin led 34-33 at the half and came out of the break on an 8-0 run before TaShawn Thomas ended the Sooners’ drought with a reverse layup.
Wisconsin clamped down defensively in the second half. The Badgers’ defence allowed virtually no second chance opportunities; they forced four consecutive turnovers in a row and contested every shot. Their defensive run eventually led to a 16-2 run.
After Dekker finished with a layup, the Badgers lead grew to 50-35 with just over 12 minutes left in regulation.
Cousins answered with back-to-back jumpers off the dribble, but the Sooners still trailed far behind. A fast-break layup from Frank Booker made it 59-50, but that was as close as the Sooners would get in the second half.
Hield came out with great energy, with a steal on the opening defensive possession and made a three-pointer on opening possession for the Sooners. Wisconsin’s outside shooting was on display early as they took a 9-5 lead on three three-pointers.
The first half featured four ties and 11 lead changes, the last of which came on a jumper from Jackson with four seconds left in the half to give his team a one-point edge.
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