With Penn State sitting at the bottom of the Big Ten standings (9-10, 0-8), the Badgers entered Happy Valley wary of a potential trap game that could derail their season. The Nittany Lions nearly knocked off Michigan just one game before Wisconsin did, so there was no room to take them lightly. Evidently, the Badgers didn’t, battering Penn State 98-71 on Thursday night.
A slow start had the Badgers down 13-12 just under eight minutes into the game before Penn State’s wheels fell off. Wisconsin exploded for a 13-0 run over the next 2:36 of game time.
Wisconsin’s spurt was led by Braeden Carrington, who’s averaging 14 points per game over his last four games. Carrington scored 17 points, all in the first half, to push Wisconsin’s lead into comfortable territory. Carrington saw just 11 minutes of action, but his four 3-pointers provided a major spark off the bench.
The Badgers never looked back from here, ending the half on a 38-9 run. Wisconsin shot from deep often —and at a consistent 38% clip — yet they were most efficient inside, adding 20 points in the paint in the opening period. With only three turnovers, the Badgers exhibited flawless ball movement, with good looks paving the way for a 50-point first half.
Unlike their game against Rutgers, where the Badgers’ 25-point lead was cut to single digits in the second half, Wisconsin did not take their foot off the gas. Despite Penn State fighting harder after the break, Wisconsin extended its lead to a game-high 37 points after a Zach Kinziger 3 with 7:45 to go. The advantage did not fall below 25 the rest of the bout.
John Blackwell matched Carrington’s game high with 17 points of his own, shooting 5-for-10 from the field and 4-for-4 at the line. Nolan Winter also added his ninth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Austin Rapp, despite not scoring in the first half, led the bench in closing out the game with 10 points, his most since the win over Central Michigan more than a month ago.
Wisconsin outscored Penn State 42-18 in the paint, something they must continue to do against undersized Big Ten teams. They are 6-0 when they outscore their opponents inside this season.
The blowout, Wisconsin’s largest margin of victory ever against Penn State, brings the Badgers to 22-5 all-time against the Nittany Lions. More importantly, it comes as revenge, as two of the Nittany Lions’ five wins have come in the last two seasons. Their major upset in the 2023-24 season over the No. 8 Badgers still lingers in the mind of Badger fans.
On Sunday, Wisconsin will welcome USC to a frigid Madison for a 3 p.m. matchup at the Kohl Center. The Trojans, while keeping it close with No. 4 Purdue, were soundly beaten by Northwestern on Wednesday.
