MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin showed Detroit Mercy no … sympathy
Executing one of its better defensive efforts of the season, the Badgers shut down the undermanned Titans in a one-sided 76-53 victory at the Kohl Center to wrap up the nonconference portion of the schedule.
Wisconsin’s starting frontcourt carried the scoring burden for the second consecutive game. Sophomore Nolan Winter finished with his second collegiate double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) and has averaged 17.7 points over his last three games.
Fresh off his season-high 18 points in last Saturday’s win over Butler, Steven Crowl had 15 points on an efficient 7-for-10 shooting. After going 5-for-18 on UW’s three-game losing streak, Crowl is 14-for-20 over his last two outings.
John Blackwell added 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, and no turnovers, UW shot 40.6 percent from the field.
Wisconsin built a 39-26 halftime lead largely due to its post offense, as the Badgers shot 10-for-13 from two-point range. Two of those misses came on one possession, which ended with a Winter tip in.
UW outscored Detroit Mercy, 20-6, in the paint, including 20-6 in the opening half. Ten of those early points came from Crowl, who had seven straight UW points during one stretch where he scored easy buckets at the rim off post feeds from John Tonje and Blackwell.
Orlando Lovejoy and Grant Gondrezick each had 20 points for the Titans (5-9), which lost their four straight.
What it means: Dominating an inferior opponent battling injuries, Wisconsin reached 10 nonconference wins for the first time since 2016-17 and emptied its bench for most of the second half.
Star of the game: Winter continues growing in his starting role. The sophomore went 6-for-9 from the floor, 2-for-5 from three, and 4-for-4 from the line.
Stat of the game: Detroit Mercy ranked 54th nationally in rebounding, averaging just under 40 rebounds per game. The Badgers outrebounded the Titans, 50-34.
Reason to be Concerned: Held to single digits for the first time this season, Tonje finished with nine points and attempted a season-low six shots. Over his past four games, UW’s leading scorer is 12-for-40 (30 percent) from the field.
Don’t overlook: Whistled for only two fouls entering the final possession, Wisconsin helped chew the final 30 seconds off the clock by strategically fouling. Blackwell and Tonje combined to commit three fouls in the final seven seconds, leaving Detroit Mercy only 2.1 seconds to create something. An off-balanced attempt falling out of bounds was the best the Titans could manage.
What’s next: Wisconsin will take 11 days off for the holidays before it resumes Big Ten play by hosting Iowa on January 3. The Hawkeyes (9-3, 1-1 Big Ten) needed a deep three-pointer at the buzzer to beat Northwestern and narrowly lost at Michigan. Forward Owen Freeman leads Iowa in points (17.1), rebounds (6.5), and blocks (2.0). The Hawkeyes are 20th nationally in adjusted offense efficiency (third in the Big Ten) and 93rd in adjusted defense (17th in Big Ten)
The Badgers are 56-30 all-time against the Hawkeyes in Madison. The tip time in the new year will be at 6 p.m. and televised on FS1.
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