Despite a humiliating loss against Purdue just a few days prior, Wisconsin bounced back and managed to secure a conference victory at home, defeating the UCLA Bruins in a hard fought 80-72 victory.
Wisconsin rode their rhythm from beyond the arc to victory. The Badgers shot 8-for-47, 17%, from deep in their last two games, and spoke extensively about staying confident in their 3-point shooting. Although the Badgers went 2-for-14 from triple during the second half, they managed to scrape by, going 33.3% from deep to end the game, going 10-for-30.
The Badgers started with a commanding lead, leading by 20 points in the first eight minutes of play. They kept the flame lit and went into halftime with a 45-31 lead. Despite the steep deficit, UCLA did not back down. Wisconsin shot just 2-for-14 from beyond the arc in the second half, allowing the Bruins to claw back in the game. Wisconsin, however, made enough big plays down the stretch to hold off UCLA for the win.
Nick Boyd opened the scoring with a triple from the corner to start things off for the Badgers, who came into the game desperate for a meaningful victory. Wisconsin, 0-5 in Quad 1 play, has struggled to stay competitive with quality opponents, and their home matchup with UCLA marked a huge opportunity to give their season some positive momentum.
After a neck and neck first three and half minutes, Boyd came full steam ahead down the court and found Andrew Rohde wide open on the wing to secure a triple. This play gave Wisconsin enough momentum to fuel a monstrous first half.
Wisconsin proceeded to go on a 13-0 run after two huge 3-pointers from junior forward Nolan Winter. Winter, who took on an even larger role due to Wisconsin being without forward Austin Rapp, ended the night with 18 points and eight rebounds. During this game, Winter showed that he can use his physicality to his advantage and was seen getting the ball off of a pick-and-roll and maneuvered through a double team to secure the and-one.
From a defensive standpoint, Winter attributed this game to Wisconsin’s communication. “The last two days of practice have probably been some of our best practices all year from a communication standpoint,” he said.
To complement Winter’s scoring was Boyd, who chalked up 20 points and eight rebounds. Boyd was the main offensive catalyst this game, facilitating the offense, pushing the pace up the court and routinely finding the open man for a wide-open bucket. Boyd fits well on this Wisconsin squad and continues to make a significant impact as the season progresses.
Just as the Badgers as a team got themselves out of a rut, their star guard John Blackwell also had a bit of a coming out party. Blackwell, who has found himself in a slump the past few games, tallied 17 points by the final buzzer and was finally able to find his rhythm.
Although his 3-point shooting was not up to par, shooting just 1-for-9, Blackwell still finished 6-for-15 from the field and contributed four free throws.
“It grew me up a little bit,” Blackwell said when asked about his recent struggles. “Everything is not going to be perfect. I am going to have a few off games, coming off an injury, foul trouble…”
Eric Dailey Jr. led the way for UCLA with 18 points and eight rebounds. Tyler Bilodeau added 16 points and nine rebounds, while Trent Perry scored 15 points and Donavan Dent finished with 13.
The Badgers needed a confidence boost after facing some tough competition prior to this game, but the schedule will only get tougher Saturday before it gets easier. Wisconsin will travel to Ann Arbor to face off against No. 2 ranked Michigan. This will be a real test of how far the Badgers have advanced this season as a team.
