The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team, led by its star backcourt, handled No. 10 Michigan State, 92-71, on Friday at the Kohl Center.
On each of Wisconsin’s first two possessions, senior guard Andrew Rohde connected on 3-point shots, igniting a long-range barrage that allowed the Badgers to control the first half.
Wisconsin would go on to knock down 10 3-pointers in the first half on 10-for-17 shooting. Shortly after the Rohde triples, senior guard Nick Boyd got on the board, sending a defender to the floor with a crossover before connecting a 3-pointer to give the Badgers an 11-5 lead.
After a few more Boyd 3-pointers, Wisconsin opened a 27-14 lead, thanks to hitting seven of its first 10 attempts from distance as a team. An offensive rebound and putback finish for junior forward Nolan Winter stretched the lead to 15 and forced Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo to stop the bleeding with a timeout.
Coming out of the timeout, Boyd once again ignited the Kohl Center crowd, drawing an offensive foul, followed by the team’s eighth 3-pointer of the half, this time from sophomore forward Austin Rapp, extending the lead to 32-14.
Moments later, however, the Badgers faced adversity for the first time in the game, when junior guard John Blackwell picked up his second foul, forcing head coach Greg Gard to leave him on the bench for the final 8:12 of the first half.
Not long after Blackwell went to the bench, the Spartans made a push. Following a 3-pointer by potential All-American Jeremy Fears Jr. and back-to-back triples from Jordan Scott, Michigan State drew within single digits at 36-27.
Despite Blackwell’s absence for a major chunk of the half and a quick run from the Spartans, Wisconsin stayed true to its identity, with everyone pitching in to maintain a comfortable lead.
“We just shared the ball, that’s Wisconsin basketball. That’s who we are,” Blackwell said.
A timely 3-pointer from Jack Janicki pushed the lead back to double digits at 39-27 and Wisconsin regained the momentum in the closing minutes of the half, capped by Boyd hitting his fourth 3-pointer. The shot brought him to 20 points and grew the Badgers’ lead to 17, with a score of 51-34 at the break.
Boyd’s scoring outburst continued in the second half. He got Wisconsin on the board in the period, finishing through contact for an and-one.
Soon after, Michigan State, in need of a spark, got one from Coen Carr. The high-flying forward broke free in transition and threw down a windmill dunk fashion for two of his team-high 19 points, bringing Spartan fans who had made the trip to Madison to their feet.
The momentum for Michigan State, however, was short-lived, as Wisconsin quickly regained control and held steady for the entire half, ensuring a key victory.
In the first half, it was the Boyd show. The senior guard ended the night with a team-high 29 points, but the second half was all about Blackwell. He scored 19 of his 24 points in the half, connecting on timely buckets to negate any chance of a Spartan comeback.
“Tonight, we got beat by a team I think is a little better than us, but we got beat by a team that played a lot better than us,” Izzo said.
It was a complete team effort for Wisconsin, which picked up its second win over a top-10 team of the week. For the Badgers, the focus shifts to a rematch with Ohio State. Wisconsin won the first meeting 92-82 at the Kohl Center Jan. 31 and the two will meet again Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.
