Wisconsin basketball UCLA tournament win takeaways, recap, highlights

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Wisconsin basketball rode a three-point barrage to an 86-70 victory over UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal on Friday.

The Badgers’ shooting numbers effectively tell the story of the game. Wisconsin made 19 of 32 (59.4%) three-point attempts, tying a Big Ten Tournament record. John Tonje led that effort with 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists on 9-of-10 shooting and 6-of-6 from three. The star wing was not alone, as John Blackwell pitched in 18 points on 4-of-8 from three, Steven Crowl added 13 points and Kamari McGee finished with 14 tallies on 3-of-3 shooting from deep.

The Badgers shot 51.7% from the field overall, with 22 assists on 30 made field goals. They also held UCLA to just 32.4% from the floor. It was an all-around effort, one that made an emphatic statement after the team lost on the road at UCLA earlier this season.

The Bruins did hang in the game with 20 offensive rebounds. But Wisconsin was dominant in every other facet. Wisconsin led by at least 12 points throughout the second half, keeping UCLA from staging any legitimate comeback. Once Wisconsin set the tone with a red-hot shooting start from deep, making 12 of its first 17 attempts, the game was mostly decided.

Wisconsin now advances to play No. 1-seed Michigan State in the tournament semifinal on Saturday. The team can reenter the discussion for a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament with another win, plus a potential Big Ten Tournament title.

Before the Badgers look to continue their hot streak, here are major takeaways from their big win over the Bruins.

That version of Wisconsin is nearly impossible to beat

Wisconsin’s best games have come when it shoots well from three — throughout the roster. It has struggled, meanwhile, when those deep shots don’t fall. The win over UCLA is significant for that reason. The Badgers looked as strong as they have all season, scoring 86 total points with the mentioned 19 three-point makes. Those tallies could have each been more had Greg Gard not emptied the…

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Publish date : 2025-03-14 20:59:00

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