So much for my prediction of another close game.
The Wisconsin Badgers put on one of their best performances of the season in an 86-70 whipping of the UCLA Bruins. The Badgers shot 51.7 percent from the field and an astounding 59.4 percent from behind the three-point line. It was a great game that showcased the Wisconsin offense that was so successful this season at its finest. When the shots are falling, few teams in the country can match up against the Badgers.
After avenging their January loss to the Bruins on Friday, the Badgers take on No. 1-seeded Michigan State in the semifinals. With a win, Wisconsin will return to the Big Ten Tournament Championship game for the second straight season.
Here are three standouts in Wisconsin’s 86-70 win over UCLA in Indianapolis:
Three-point shooting
We started to see glimpses of the shooting performances from earlier this season against Northwestern, but Friday’s game was a whole different level.
Wisconsin set a Big Ten tournament record with 19 made three-pointers in Friday’s win. The Badgers also came two three-pointers short of tying a program record they set back on January 3rd against Iowa.
Wisconsin set that program record against the best scoring defense in the conference. The Badgers’ three-point barrage came against one of the best defenses in the Big Ten and the country.
It was a collective effort, as John Tonje and John Blackwell (more on them below) combined to hit 10 threes, while ball movement led to open shots for Xavier Amos, Kamari McGee, and Steven Crowl, who each had multiple triples.
It was an all-around fantastic shooting display at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
John Tonje
It wasn’t just Tonje’s team-leading 26 points, which was his first 20+ point outing since February 22nd against Oregon. It was the incredible efficiency in which it came by.
Tonje was all but stuck on automatic on Friday against UCLA, as he finished 9-of-10 from the field and hit all six of his three-point shots. In addition, Tonje came one rebound shy of his first double-double on the season.
Tonje’s scoring barrage over the first eight minutes really got Wisconsin going, as the Badgers senior hit four early threes, including back-to-back ones. His perfect efficiency up until his last shot came with some tough makes and smart basketball decisions overall.
Tonje also had four assists, which tied for Wisconsin’s most, as he still managed to find teammates by being aggressive, leading to one of his best performances of the year.
John Blackwell
Other candidates for the third standout include Steven Crowl and Xavier Amos, but I am going to go with Blackwell here.
Against Northwestern, Blackwell was a mere 3-for-10 from the field and only scored eight points. Friday was a much better game for the sophomore guard, as he finished with 18 points on 6-of-11 shots. Blackwell also connected on the second-most threes for the Badgers, as he finished 4-of-8 from three.
Blackwell distributed well, also finishing with four assists and playing well within the flow of the offense.
Overall, the Badgers had a strong collective performance, led by their three-point shooting, setting up a Big Ten Tournament semifinal matchup with the Michigan State Spartans on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.
