With a stunning shooting performance, the Wisconsin Badgers trounced UCLA in the Big 10 men’s basketball tournament to become the second team in the semifinals. Despite the pre-game odds suggesting an even matchup, Wisconsin stars John Tonje and John Blackwell powered the Badgers to a dominant 86-70 win.
Wisconsin made 19 three-pointers in the game, tying a Big 10 tournament record, per Erik Haslam, the owner of the college basketball analytics site “Haslametrics.” Six of those threes belonged to Tonje, who went a perfect 6-for-6 from deep. The entire team shot 19-for-32 from beyond the arc, a jaw-dropping 59 percent clip.
Overall, 19 of the Badgers’ 30 made field goals were from three-point range, accounting for 66 percent of their total points in the game. Wisconsin’s 19 made three-pointers more than doubled its season average of 9.8 per game.
Tonje led the way with a game-high 26 points, with Blackwell adding 18. Blackwell also went an efficient 4-for-8 from downtown. Steven Crowl and Kamari McGee also caught fire from three, both going 3-for-3 from deep.
Wisconsin’s efficiency was not matched by UCLA, who struggled to make shots all game. The Bruins hit just 32.4 percent from the field, including a mere 30 percent from three. Sebastian Mack led the team with 18 points off the bench in a losing effort. Kobe Johnson was the only other Bruin to reach double figures, adding 14.
Wisconsin basketball advances to face Michigan State on Saturday
Wisconsin will ride its hot shooting display into a major showdown with top-seeded Michigan State on Saturday. The Spartans topped Oregon 74-64 in the first quarterfinal game to set themselves up in the semifinals.
Michigan State and Wisconsin met once in the regular season, a March 2 matchup that the Spartans took 71-62. While Wisconsin will ride the momentum of its performance against UCLA into the rematch, Michigan State is on an even better run. Tom Izzo’s team is currently riding an eight-game win streak that includes seven victories over ranked opponents.
While both Michigan State and Wisconsin are already well within the March Madness grasp, valuable seeding is obviously on the line in the Big 10 tournament. The winner of the Big 10 tournament will likely lay claim to a No. 1 seed of their respective region in the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan State and Wisconsin will tip off at 1 p.m. ET at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The winner will await the result of the following game, which will feature the victors of Illinois-Maryland and Michigan-Purdue. Illinois beat Wisconsin in the 2024 Big 10 Championship Game 93-87, giving them a No. 3 seed in the ensuing March Madness bracket.
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