It has been a trying few weeks for the Wisconsin Badgers. After dominating Marquette on Dec. 6, Wisconsin suffered back to back losses, losing to Nebraska by 30 points on Dec 10, and falling to Villanova in overtime on Dec. 19.
However, the struggling Badgers got back on track against the 4-7 Central Michigan Chippewas Monday night at the Kohl Center, winning 88-61. It took a while for the Badgers to get into a rhythm, as Central Michigan hung around in the first half to make it a 12-point game at half time. But over the course of a full 40 minutes, Wisconsin’s balanced passing attack proved far too much for the Chippewas to handle.
Without John Blackwell, who missed his first game of the season with an injury, Wisconsin treaded water without their most reliable player. Still, Wisconsin managed to attack the paint, and were led by Nolan Winter’s 13 first-half points. With Nick Boyd struggling, Braeden Carrington returned from injury and provided a much-needed spark off the bench, adding two first-half 3-pointers.
Wisconsin, while playing well, seemed unable to catapult toward a substantial lead. That changed in the second half, when the Badgers went on a blazing 20-3 run to build a 35 point lead. Forward Austin Rapp, with three 3-pointers in a row, was central in initiating the run. Rapp finished with 18 points, tying Winter for the game high.
Much of Wisconsin’s offensive motion was made possible by swift and consistent ball movement, highlighted by guard Jack Janicki nine assists. This, paired by relentless pressure on the defensive end, allowed Wisconsin to coast in the second half.
For the Badgers, Monday’s game was an obvious step in the right direction. Wisconsin shot 42 percent from three and 54 percent, both major improvements from their previous two games.
They scored 49 of their 88 points from the paint and free-throw line, and outrebounded the Chippewas 41-22.
With yet another domination against a lower-quality opponent, there’s no doubt that Wisconsin can handle games they are supposed to win. The question will now be if Wisconsin can apply what they did well against Central Michigan against Big Ten competition.
After an eight-day holiday rest, the Badgers will take on UW-Milwaukee at home Wednesday. Tip is set for 7 p.m.at the Kohl Center. A commanding win is needed, as the Badgers face No. 5 Purdue, UCLA and No. 2 Michigan in the following three games, a stretch that will make or break their season.
