SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Wisconsin Badgers almost waited too long to get their offense swinging. Alando Tucker helped Wisconsin bounce back from a horrible first half, scoring eight straight points during a 13-0 run that gave the Badgers a 65-56 victory over North Carolina State on Friday night and a spot in the NCAA tournament's round of eight.<br>
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Sixth-seeded Wisconsin (25-8) will play the winner of the late game between North Carolina and Villanova for a berth in the Final Four.<br>
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Tucker scored 22 points and Mike Wilkinson scored 17, getting his final two on a breakaway dunk with 20 seconds left that got the rest of the Badgers to leap for joy on the court.<br>
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Engin Atsur scored 16 and Julius Hodge had 14 on 4-for-15 shooting for N.C. State (21-14).<br>
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The 10th-seeded Wolfpack had been the lowest remaining seed in the tournament. Badgers coach Bo Ryan improved to 7-0 against lower seeds, using a patient passing offense to find holes in the Wolfpack defense.<br>
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But they almost waited too long.<br>
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Tucker scored eight of just 21 Wisconsin points in the first half as the Badgers committed 11 turnovers to zero assists, falling behind by 10 before Sharif Chambliss made one of two free throws with 0.7 seconds left. Those were the first points by a Badgers guard in the game.<br>
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But that changed quickly in the second.<br>
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Clayton Hanson opened with a 3-pointer and then, after Cameron Bennerman's spinner, Chambliss made a 3. Tucker hit a driving layup to make it 32-29 with 16:46 to play, then Hodge scored for N.C. State before Hanson made a 3 and Wilkinson banked one in to tie it 34-all with 14:51 left.<br>
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The Wolfpack led 37-36 when Chambliss hit a 3 from the top of the key and Tucker scored the next eight points to make it 47-37 with 8:41 left.<br>
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N.C. State came within five points, 59-54, with the ball, but couldn't get closer.<br>
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NOTES: N.C. State guard Tony Bethel, who missed the previous four games with a groin injury, came off the bench with 9:27 left. ... A crowd of 30,713 came to the Carrier Dome. Wolfpack fans shared one side with the crowd from North Carolina, which played Villanova in the late game. Some of the light-blue clad Tar Heels fans even cheered for their neighbors despite a long-standing rivalry. ... Wilkinson sat out the last 7:46 of the first with two fouls.
