With only one game in the previous 18 days, the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team could’ve been forgiven if it came out of its midseason hibernation sloppy. But instead of starting the rest of conference play with a lull, Wisconsin did just the opposite. The Badgers scored a Kohl Center record 116 points, hit a program record 21 three-pointers and thoroughly throttled the Iowa Hawkeyes 116-85.
Wisconsin’s offense has been the story of their season. On Jan. 3, after picking up their first conference victory of the season, the Badgers unlocked yet another way to make opposing defenses shiver. With two seven-footers, Wisconsin had already shown it could produce from within, and guards John Blackwell and John Tonje have proved their ability to score diversely. But in making 21 of 33 threes, Wisconsin has added perhaps the most dangerous feather to their cap.
The Badgers’ 116 points are the most they have scored in a Big Ten game and the most in a Big Ten matchup since 1995.
“They do a great job moving the ball,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffrey said after the game. “They’ve got some really talented drivers, so you gotta close off penetration. But they’ve got multiple three-point shooters, as we saw today, a lot of guys that can make ‘em.”
On a Wisconsin team with a lot of guys that can make shots, John Blackwell made the most against Iowa, hitting six threes and scoring a career-high 32 points, along with eight rebounds and five assists. Leading Wisconsin’s ferocious offensive attack, Blackwell gave the Hawkeyes more than they could handle, consistently maintaining an offensive dominance throughout the game.
But it wasn’t just Blackwell. Forward Nolan Winter continued his scoring spell, going 8-11 from the field and contributing 18 points and eight rebounds. Fellow forward Steven Crowl added 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while guards Tonje and Kamari McGee each added 12 points.
Wisconsin’s unselfish ability to move the ball reaped benefits as the game progressed. Of Wisconsin’s 40 field goals, 26 came off assists.
Guard Drew Thelwell led Iowa with 25 points on 9-14 shooting. Guard Josh Dix added 16 points while forward Owen Freeman scored 14.
In front of an initially sleepy Kohl Center crowd, Wisconsin and Iowa came out of the gates scorching hot. Within the first four minutes of game action, both teams had reached the double digits, setting the tone for the offensive battle that was to come.
Wisconsin quickly realized it would be up for a challenge in containing Dix, who led the Hawkeyes with 14 first-half points. Hitting his first four field goals, two of which were threes, Dix’s silky smooth jump shot guided Iowa to a first-half lead. Alongside Thelwell, the Hawkeyes built a 28-22 lead with 8:44 remaining in the half.
In the latter part of the second half, Wisconsin caught fire from beyond the 3-point line as its defense settled in against a dangerous Iowa offense. Over the course of a 19-2 run that flipped the score from a 28-22 Hawkeye advantage to a 41-30 Badger lead, Wisconsin hit five threes from four different players. The Badgers kept at it, as threes from Blackwell and Winter, along with multiple Tonje buckets built a 54-43 Wisconsin lead at halftime. In what once seemed like a back-and-forth dogfight until the end, Wisconsin took the bone toward the end of the half and never gave it back.
McGee said the game changed for the Badgers when they recognized Iowa’s lack of defensive focus.
“Once we realized that they were just coming in here to try to outscore us, and (that) they didn’t really care much about the defensive end, we took advantage of that,” McGee said. “We just knew that they didn't want to play defense, and all we have to do is play a little bit more defense than them and the game is ours.”
Wisconsin, up for the challenge, swiftly took control of the game and cruised to an ever-so-feel-good victory. The Badgers continue to win in a variety of ways, and, with 116 points, 21 three-pointers and an emerging sense of confidence, Wisconsin took a massive stride in realizing its full potential.
