Wisconsin basketball fans, national media react to Badgers statement win over Purdue

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The Wisconsin Badgers sent a statement to the college basketball world with a 94-84 road win over No. 7 Purdue on Saturday

John Tonje led the triumph — a common refrain in postgame recaps throughout the season. He finished with 32 points, six rebounds and three assists on 10-of-15 shooting. His second-half offensive dominance gave shades of Badger great Johnny Davis, who tallied 37 points in the Badgers’ last road win at Mackey Arena (Jan. 3, 2022).

Tonje wasn’t the only headline from the victory. The Badgers shot 61.5% from the floor and 40% from three as a team. They missed just two two-point shots the entire afternoon, plus scored on each of their final 12 possessions. According to Jared Berson, the Badgers are the only team in the last 15 years to shoot at least 60% (61.5%) and commit three or fewer turnovers (three) in a road game.

By all accounts, Wisconsin delivered another historic offensive performance.

The context behind the team’s statement win makes it even more impressive. It lost veteran guard Kamari McGee with 6:22 remaining in the first half due to a controversial ejection. As has been the case throughout the season, others on the team stepped up in McGee’s absence. Walk-on guard Jack Janicki delivered 11 points on three-of-four from beyond the arc, Max Klesmit was terrific with 17 points on five-of-10 shooting and John Blackwell sealed the game with offensive brilliance, scoring all of his 11 points in the second half.

After the game, the team showed its rally around McGee after he was forced to watch from the locker room.

Wisconsin moves to 20-5 on the season and 10-4 in Big Ten play with the win. Pending other results across the conference, it sits just 1 1/2 games behind first-place Michigan. Before we turn the page to an important upcoming home matchup against Illinois, here are some of the best reactions to Wisconsin’s defining victory:

John Tonje’s postgame message: ‘I love Wisconsin basketball’

Wisconsin’s offensive dominance

Wisconsin scored on 12…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/wisconsin-basketball-fans-national-media-205202774.html

Author : Badgers Wire

Publish date : 2025-02-15 20:52:00

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