MADISON, Wis. – A break in the schedule resulted in a break of intensity for the University of Wisconsin. Less than its best was still enough to beat one of college basketball’s few winless teams.
John Tonje scored 22 points to lead No.15 Wisconsin to a 74-53 victory over Chicago State Saturday afternoon.
Nolan Winter added 12 and Steven Crowl flirted with a triple-double (9 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) for Wisconsin (8-0), which now turns its attention to Tuesday’s Big Ten opener against Michigan (6-1) at the Kohl Center.
Jalen Forrest had 10 points to lead Chicago State (0-9), one of six Division-1 teams without a win.
The Badgers didn’t start to separate until a 17-3 run early in the second half. Max Klesmit and Tonje hit three-pointers to spark the run, but Winter scored eight with a three-point play, a three-pointer, and a massive dunk, likely letting out some frustration after getting racked over the head by guard Troy McKoy Jr. earlier in the possession. UW didn’t have its lead dip below 15 points the rest of the way.
Tonje has 14 points in the first half, as Wisconsin held Chicago State to 29.0 percent shooting and .735 points per possession to build a 32-25 lead.
What it means: Wisconsin survived without playing its best but really didn’t need to be clicking on all cylinders to earn its eighth win. That won’t be the case over the next four games, which include two true road games against top-25 opponents.
Star of the game: Tonje registered his fourth game this season of scoring at least 20 points, but Winter was the catalyst in separating the two teams after halftime, The sophomore finished 4-for-4 from the field and 3-for-3 from the line.
Stat of the game: After going 3-for-16 from the perimeter in the first half, Wisconsin went 7-for-14 in the second with six players hitting at least one three-pointer.
Reason to be Concerned: Wisconsin’s slow start to games has been an issue of varying degrees all season. The Badgers averaged just .970 points in the first half and only two players scored more than three points.
Don’t overlook: The Cougars entered the weekend ranked 348th nationally in scoring (59.1 ppg), 354th in shooting (34.4) and 301st in perimeter shooting (29.7). The Badgers didn’t make things any easier on them, holding the visitors to 33.9 percent shooting, 25.0 percent from three, and .841 points per possession.
What’s next: Undefeated entering Big Ten play for the first time since 2014, Wisconsin will host Michigan at the Kohl Center Tuesday night. After an eight-win season, the Wolverines moved on from coach Juwan Howard and hired former Florida Atlantic coach Dusty May. Quickly overhauling the roster with seven new commitments in April, the Wolverines are 6-1 and won the Ft. Myers Tip-Off with a victory over No.22 Xavier. Michigan has seven players averaging between 13.0 and 7.0 ppg.
The Badgers trail the all-time series, 95-79 and have lost the last two meetings (both on the road), but lead in games played in Madison, 49-36. The tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be televised on Peacock.
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