March Madness 2012, Wisconsin Vs. Montana Final Score: Grizzlies Fall To Badgers, 49-73

The No. 13 Montana Grizzlies could not upset the No. 4 Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday afternoon, losing 49-73.

Montana kept the game close early and trailed Wisconsin only 10-points at the half. The Badgers, however, quickly extended their lead to 15 points as they started the second half with an 18-3 run, and built on it more and more through the finish, ending with a 24-point lead and a 49-73 final. Junior F Ryan Evans and senior G Jordan Taylor proved especially dominant as the pair collected a combined 35 points and 16 rebounds.

For the Grizzlies, senior F Art Steward put forth a Herculean effort with 18 points and 3 rebounds, but none of the other Montana basketball players could manager to hit double digits. As a whole, the Grizzlies were out-shot (.383 versus .479), out-rebounded (19 to 32) and out-blocked (3 to 8).

For more on March Madness at every level, visit SB Nation NCAA Basketball. Our 2012 NCAA Tournament hub has everything you need for the big one.

March Madness 2012, Wisconsin Vs. Montana Score Update: Grizzlies Trail Badgers, 29-39, At The Half

The Montana Grizzlies (No. 13 seed) will be looking for a stronger second half against the Wisconsin Badgers (No. 4) after falling behind 29-39.

Wisconsin jumped ahead early, snatching a 7-14 lead within the first five minutes, but the Grizzlies kept the game close, overcoming three-point jumpers from G Jordan Taylor and G Josh Gasser with a steady flow of layups and high-percentage shots. The Badgers extended their lead to 10-points by the end of the second half with a 29-39 lead.

Through the first half, the Badgers have played the stingier defense and have collected 5 blocks to the Grizzlies' 0 and 15 rebounds to the Grizzlies' 13. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, have relied on senior F Art Steward who has 12 points and 2 rebounds despite averaging 9.2 points per game during the regular season.

For more on March Madness at every level, visit SB Nation NCAA Basketball. Our 2012 NCAA Tournament hub has everything you need for the big one.

March Madness 2012, Wisconsin Vs. Montana: Game Time, TV Schedule And More

The Montana Grizzlies enter the NCAA Tournament as winners of 14 straight and champions of the Big Sky Tournament. The Grizzlies' impressive season has earned them a No. 13 seed and date with the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday in the East Region.

The Grizzlies are led by junior guard Will Cherry, who enters averaging a team-high 16 points per game. Swing man Kareer Jamar has also been terrific for Montana in his sophomore season. Jamar enters the NCAA Tournament averaging 13.8 points per game and 5.6 rebounds per game.

If Montana is to pull the upset over Wisconsin, they'd be wise to stop Jordan Taylor. The Badgers' senior point guard enters averaging 14.7 points per contest, a team-high.

Game time/date: 12:10 p.m. MT, Thursday, March 15, 2012

Location: University Arena, Albuquerque, NM

TV: TNT

For more on March Madness at every level, visit SB Nation NCAA Basketball. Our 2012 NCAA Tournament hub has everything you need for the big one.

2012 NCAA Bracket 2012: Montana Lands In East Region, Could Face Syracuse, Ohio State In Later Rounds

After a successful regular season, the Montana Grizzlies have landed the No. 13 seed in the East region for the 2012 NCAA Tournament, as the selection committee announced on Sunday. The Grizzlies are the only Big Sky team to get a bid, since they won the conference tournament championship on Wednesday.

The East region should pose numerous challenges for this Montana squad. In the second round of the tournament, the Grizzlies will be facing No. 4 Wisconsin, with the winner moving on to face either No. 5 Vanderbilt or No. 12 Harvard in the third round.

If the Grizzlies are able to pull off an upset in the opening round, they could eventually face the likes of Syracuse or Ohio State, the region's top-two seeds, in later rounds.

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NCAA Bracket 2012: Montana To Play Wisconsin In 2nd Round

After landing the No. 13 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, the Montana Grizzlies will be playing fourh-seeded Wisconsin to kick things off in the second round. The Grizzlies received an automatic bid as a result of its Big Sky Tournament championship. They turned in a 25-6 record at the end of the tournament.

Montana defeated the Weber St. Wildcats in the Big Sky regular season finale to capture that title before beating the Wildcats in the tournament title game.

The Badgers, meanwhile, defeated Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament before bowing out to the Michigan St. Spartans. They hold a 24-9 record heading into the Big Dance. The Badgers did defeat the Ohio St. Buckeyes on the road at the end of February. Jordan Taylor and his 14.7 points per game this season will look to put down the Grizzlies quickly.

Be sure to stay tuned to SB Nation College Basketball and SB Nation Denver for all of your college basketball news and notes throughout March. Brackets on the brain? Us too! Play Yahoo! Tourney Pick’em and be a part of the craziest month of college basketball. It is fun, easy, and free.

NCAA Tournament 2012 Bracket Update: Montana Is No. 13, Will Face No.4 Wisconsin In East Region

The Big Sky conference tournament champions earned a No. 13 seed in the 2012 NCAA Tournament. They will face No. 6 Wisconsin in their first game.