The Kohl Center played host to a sibling rivalry Wednesday as Greg Gard, head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers, defeated his brother Jeff Gard’s , Platteville Pioneers squad 69-53.
The matchup, part of the annual Garding Against Cancer event, marked the Badgers’ final exhibition game before the start of the regular season.
Wisconsin pulled out the win, but their sloppy play showed they needed a final tune-up before their regular season begins Nov. 3 against Campbell.
The Badgers got off to a sluggish start, letting Platteville get out to a 7-0 lead within the first two minutes.
Transfer forward Austin Rapp got the Badgers back in the game, drilling back to back threes and cutting Wisconsin’s deficit to one. Although these were the only threes he had all game, he tallied 14 points by the final buzzer and helped the Badgers secure the win.
But Wisconsin’s slow start extended throughout the first half.
It could be attributed to a few factors. The Badgers threw sloppy passes on offense, leading to bad shots or turnovers. This, along with lackadaisical rebounding, kept the Pioneers in this game during the first half. Wisconsin’s lack of aggressiveness while rebounding gave Platteville an opportunity to get many second chance points and stay with a much more talented Wisconsin team.
The tone shifted after halftime, largely in part to junior forward Nolan Winter, who dominated both ends of the floor in the second half.
Winter posted a double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds, providing the physical presence the Badgers needed. His aggression on the boards helped fuel transition opportunities and swing momentum firmly in Wisconsin’s favor.
Winter’s play was too much for the Pioneers to handle, and the Badgers pulled away a little over halfway into the second half.
“Tonight, we didn’t shoot as well as I know we can,” Winter said. “But moving forward, I know what we’re capable of.”
The Badgers shot 6-25 from beyond the arc, a mark they will need to improve upon as the season gets underway.
Transfer guard Nick Boyd started to look more comfortable this game. He moved more fluidly and found his teammates more efficiently. Boyd, on a coast-to-coast fast break lay-up in the second half, made evident that he is adapting well to Wisconsin’s fast-paced offense.
Although the Badgers got off to a slow start and may have caused some concern among fans, their strong second-half performance helped ease those worries heading into the regular season. The game served as a valuable opportunity to make adjustments and identify areas for improvement before their opener.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Gard said after the game.
