Wisconsin basketball Montana tournament game recap key stats

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The Wisconsin Badgers silenced all doubters Thursday afternoon, defeating the Montana Grizzlies 85-66 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

After a competitive first half, the Badgers pulled away in the frame thanks to strong performances from John Blackwell and Steven Crowl, as well as key reserve minutes from forward Xavier Amos. Five Wisconsin players scored in the double figures, demonstrating the team’s depth of talent.

Wisconsin will now meet No. 6-seed BYU in the second round, a team that is red-hot with 10 wins in its last 11 games. BYU defeated a strong VCU Rams team that many had highlighted as a potential sleeper in the round of 64. The Badgers’ front-court matches up well against the Cougars, just as it did against Montana. Wisconsin’s primary key to victory is a strong defensive performance against one nation’s best offensive units. If it does, the Badgers should move onto the Sweet 16.

Before the focus shifts to the BYU matchup, here are three stats that defined Wisconsin’s first-round victory over Montana:

Xavier Amos’ 11 points, four rebounds, and two blocks

Xavier Amos delivered a season-best performance against Montana, totaling 11 points, four rebounds and two key blocks in 13 minutes off the bench. Those tallies are all far above his season-long averages of 3.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.3 blocks, hopefully marking the start of a hot stretch in tournament play.

The forward’s best play came at the 9:55-minute mark of the second half, where he hit a huge three to extend Wisconsin’s lead to 16. If Amos can keep this level of play up, Wisconsin has a real chance at making a deep run, potentially all the way to the Final Four.

Wisconsin’s 24 two-point makes

One of Wisconsin’s keys to victory against Montana was attacking the basket consistently, especially against a smaller Grizzlies lineup. Both Nolan Winter and Steven Crowl did just that, each finding success in the painted area throughout the contest. Another player who excelled down low was John Blackwell,…

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Source link : https://badgerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/badgers/mens-basketball/2025/03/20/wisconsin-montana-tournament-game-recap-key-stats/82580209007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-21 00:06:00

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