MADISON, Wis. – John Blackwell helped prevent the University of Wisconsin from following up one of the program’s biggest early-season wins with one of its biggest disappointments.
The sophomore guard scored 20 of his career-high 30 points in the second half, including two clutch free throws with 2.1 seconds left as No.19 Wisconsin had to work much harder in Monday’s 87-84 victory over UT Rio Grande Valley at the Kohl Center than it did on Friday.
Big Ten Player of the Week John Tonje added 12 of his 19 points in the second half for the Badgers (5-0), which won a prolonged battle after winning the first four games of its season-opening homestand by 20.5 points.
After never trailing against then-No.9 Arizona Friday, Wisconsin played behind for most of the night because its defense couldn’t slow the Vaqueros (3-3) or guard Hasan Abdul Hakim, who led UTRGV with 19 points but couldn’t get the go-ahead jumper to fall in the closing seconds nor his halfcourt heave at the final buzzer.
A step slow or out of position on most of the possessions, UTRGV led for all of 52 seconds in the first half after shooting 62.5 percent. The Vaqueros finished at 49.2 percent.
Blackwell scored 10 of 13 points over one stretch in the second half, including a pull-up jumper and a step-back three-pointer that gave the Badgers their first lead since the 7:09 mark of the first half. A one-possession lead swung back and forth for most of the final 14 minutes, neither team leading by more than five.
Max Klesmit (11) hit a jumper with 4:23 remaining to give the Badgers a two-point lead. It was Wisconsin's last field goal, but the Badgers kept building from the free-throw line. Coming into the night leading the NCAA with a 90 percent free-throw percentage, the Badgers got into the bonus with four minutes remaining and scored their remaining 11 points from the line on 12 attempts, all from Blackwell and Tonje.
What it means: Wisconsin knew it was in for a challenge considering the resume of UTRGV, but this was probably more than the Badgers bargained for. Giving up 1.235 points per possession on 49.2 percent shooting, UW survived with Blackwell and Tonje being clutch in the second half, scoring 32 of its 39 points.
Star of the game: Blackwell scored eight of Wisconsin’s first 10 points in the second half and 15 of the first 20, carrying the offense on the night when everything seemed hard to come. His 11 field goals and 18 attempts were also career highs.
Stat of the game: Carter Gilmore missed two free throws with 7:34 remaining, marking the first time the Badgers missed both attempts on one possession this season.
Reason to be Concerned: Was the start against Arizona the exception? The Badgers have not started crisply in any of their four games against mid-major teams, digging themselves a deficit and giving their opponents confidence.
Don’t overlook: Wisconsin had to go smaller in the second half to keep up with UTRGV's guards, putting Gilmore on the court for over 14 minutes. The move helped slow the Vaqueros, seeing their shooting percentage drop 13 percentage points.
What’s next: Wisconsin leaves the Kohl Center for the first time this season when it faces UCF in the inaugural Greenbrier Tip-Off in West Virginia on Friday. Like many schools, UCF (3-0) had a roster shakeup in the offseason with four players entering the portal and bringing in six new ones, including guards Jordan Ivy-Curry (18.7 ppg) and Keyshawn Hall (16.7 ppg). One player who didn’t leave was guard Darius Johnson, who is shooting 50 percent from the field and averaging 17.3 points. The Golden Knights already have one ranked win on their resume, beating No.13 Texas A&M on opening night. The tip between the schools will be 4 p.m. CT and televised on CBS Sports Network.
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