In a quarterfinal matchup that felt more like a shooting clinic, the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (25-8, 13-7 Big Ten) acted on revenge against UCLA (22-10, 13-7) with a convincing 86-70 victory at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. No. 5 Badgers tied a Big Ten Tournament record with 19 3-pointers, advancing to their 14th semifinal appearance in program history.
First-half fireworks
Wisconsin wasted no time establishing dominance, with John Blackwell opening things up by draining a tough contested 3-pointer over a taller defender. Graduate student John Tonje quickly followed with a deep 3-pointer of his own, setting the tone for what would become a historic shooting performance.
“We got UCLA next, we’ve been wanting them,” senior Kamari McGee said after Wisconsin’s first-round victory over Northwestern.
That hunger was evident as the Badgers unleashed an offensive onslaught, connecting on an astonishing 12 3-pointers in the first half alone.
Tonje put on a show, hitting an and-one 3-pointer that had him trash talking the Bruins as Wisconsin built a commanding lead, taking a 48-29 advantage into halftime.
“Today our advantage is we’ve been here [before],” head coach Greg Gard said before the game. “So we have to take advantage of that.”
Maintaining momentum
Wisconsin ditched their habit of letting leads go, staying aggressive in the second half. Though UCLA briefly threatened with a run following an and-one dunk from William Kyle, the Badgers quickly regained control.
Foul trouble became a concern when both senior Steven Crowl and sophomore Nolan Winter accumulated four fouls each, but Wisconsin’s depth proved too much for No. 4 Bruins. Blackwell continued his strong play with a 3-point play off a Xavier Amos offensive rebound, while Tonje remained unstoppable, hitting contested fadeaways and 3-pointers that kept UCLA at bay.
The Badgers’ defensive effort was equally impressive, holding UCLA to just 34.4% shooting from the field. Sebastian Mack provided a bright spot for the Bruins with 18 points off the bench, but UCLA’s starters struggled mightily, shooting just 5-of-21 in the decisive first half.
.sno-67d72c46ad8bc {
background-color: #ffffff;border: 5px solid #888888;box-shadow: -1px 0 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 12%), 1px 0 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 12%), 0 1px 1px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 24%);margin: 30px auto; float: none;}
.sno-67d72c46ad8bc h5 {
color: #000000;
}
Record-setting performance
With the game well in hand, Wisconsin chased history. McGee’s fall-away 3-pointer in the final minutes gave the Badgers their 19th made 3-pointer of the game, tying the Big Ten Tournament record. The team finished 19-for-32 (59.4%) from beyond the arc, a remarkable display of shooting efficiency.
Tonje led all scorers with 26 points while adding nine rebounds and four assists, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from 3-point range. Blackwell contributed 18 points, McGee added 14 and Crowl chipped in 13 as the Badgers showed offensive balance that will make them a dangerous opponent going forward.
Looking ahead
The victory advances Wisconsin to Saturday’s semifinal matchup against No. 1 Michigan State at 12 p.m. CT. This marks the Badgers’ second consecutive appearance in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, a testament to the program’s consistency under Gard.
The win also avenges an 85-83 regular season loss to UCLA in which the Bruins’ 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara dominated with 22 points. This time, Wisconsin’s perimeter attack neutralized UCLA’s size advantage, forcing the Bruins to play catch-up from the opening minutes.
With their offense clicking and defense stifling opponents, the Badgers are building momentum at the perfect time as March Madness approaches. If they can maintain this level of play, Wisconsin’s tournament ceiling continues to rise.