DENVER Basketball players are just bigger in the Big 10.Wisconsin's depth, shooting and size emphasized by 7-footers Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter proved to be too much for Montana on Thursday at Ball Arena. The 14th-seeded G rizzlies battled and were within four points in the second half, but the third-seeded Badgers, who were the runner-up in the Big 10 Conference tournament, ultimately bullied Montana into an 85-66 loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament.The Griz scrapped to keep the game close throughout the first half and into the second. After the Badgers got out to a 9-5 lead to start the game, Brandon Whitney, who was the Big Sky Conference tournament MVP last week for Montana, muscled up a layup to cut the deficit to 9-7 at the 14:46 mark.Montana then got within one, 11-10, on a Te'Jon Sawyer basket moments later, and it was still a two-point game, 15-13, with 11:24 to play in the first half. But the Badgers started to take control, as All-American John Tonje converted a four-point play when he was fouled on a 3-pointer and Xavier Amos scored to make it 21-13 in a blink.Joe Pridgen quelled the run with a basket for Montana, but Tonje made another 3 to give Wisconsin a 24-15 lead.The Griz, though, kept hanging around. Kai Johnson made a 3-pointer, Pridgen threw down a dunk and another Johnson bucket got Montana back within 27-22 at the 6:37 mark of the first half.But Wisconsin eventually pushed its advantage to double digits and led by as many as 11 points, 38-27, in the first half when Winter made a jumper with 2:08 remaining. Montana's Jensen Bradtke answered with a 3, and the teams traded baskets to close out the half, and the Badgers led 40-32 at the break.Montana's Johnson and Sawyer had eight points each in the first half, while Crowl had 10 first-half points for the Badgers, who scored 20 points in the paint in the first 20 minutes. Pridgen made back-to-back driving buckets to start the second half to bring the Griz within 40-36. And Montana was still in the game with 15 minutes to play following a 3 by Johnson and fast-break layup by Money Williams, who was held scoreless in the first half, that made it 51-47 and brought the Griz crowd to a swell.But Wisconsin's Carter Gilmore quickly quieted the crowd and kick-started a Badgers run. The senior forward made a 3-pointer, drew an offensive foul on Pridgen, his fourth personal, and scored again out of a timeout to make it 56-47. Winter then canned another 3 to give the Badgers a 59-47 lead, their largest of the game to that point, with 12:41 to play.It turned into a 14-3 Wisconsin run that saw the Badgers grow the lead to 65-50. Their advantage got to as many as 18 points, 72-54, following a pair of Tonje free throws.Montana got back within 74-62 with five minutes to play, but Wisconsin answered with a 9-0 run to secure the win. Johnson and Sawyer each scored 15 points to lead Montana, and Pridgen had 12. The Grizzlies shot 39.7% for the game compared to Wisconsin's 55.4% performance.Five Badgers finished in double figures. Blackwell scored a game-high 19 points and Crowl had 18 on 8-of-10 shooting, while Tonje added 15, Amos 11 and Winter 10.Montana ends its season with a 25-10 overall record, while Wisconsin (27-9) will play VCU or BYU in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday. ...read more read less