MADISON, Wis. – Steven Crowl got run into by Minnesota forward Frank Mitchell with a head of steam. No foul was called, much to the frustration of the Wisconsin bench. When the Badgers coaching staff and reserves saw next, it elicited a different reaction.

Crowl drove to the open lane with Mitchell out of position and the bench erupted with fist pumps after he finished with his right hand, again through contact from Mitchell for a three-point play. It added to the momentum of a big second half that turned a close game into an 80-59 Wisconsin rout over the Gophers at the Kohl Center.

Wisconsin (13-3, 4-2 Big Ten) ran its winning streak to five games and as the Badgers and Crowl continued mastery over the Gophers. UW has won eight straight against its border rivals and Crowl – following his team-high 18 points – is averaging 15.7 points on 66.1 percent shooting in six career starts against his home-state team.

John Tonje added 11 of his 16 points in the second half, as the Badgers shot 57.7 percent in the second half to outscore Minnesota, 50-30.

Wisconsin went 11-for-28 from three, three of which came on a 13-2 run early in the second half that pushed the lead to double digits. Nolan Winter (eight points), John Blackwell (nine), and Crowl all hit from the perimeter over a 2-minute, 40-second run, hitting as many threes as UW hit the entire first half.

Dawson Garcia was the only player in double figures for Minnesota (8-8, 0-5), finishing with a game-high 22.

The Badgers struggled out of the game with Kamari McGee (15 points) replacing Max Klesmit (right ankle) in the starting lineup. UW started 2-for-10 and got only marginally better throughout the half. McGee, Tonje, and Blackwell combined to shoot 4-for-18 from the floor, as UW shot only 32.3 percent (10-for-31).

Down as many as 10 in the opening minutes, UW chipped away at the deficit to lead at the break with its defense. The Badgers turned eight turnovers into nine points and 3-for-10 on shots around the rim.

Minnesota took the lead on a pair of Garcia free throws early in the second half, but UW outscored them, 40-12, over the next 12 minutes, and 40 seconds.

What it means: The first half looked like what Wisconsin-Minnesota games have been the last few seasons, as the last five games have been decided by a total of 16 points. The second half looked like the Wisconsin offense we’re getting used to seeing.

Star of the game: Crowl was the only steady offensive weapon through both halves for Wisconsin. The graduate center had nine points on 3-for-4 shooting in the first half and nine points on 3-for-3 shooting in the second half.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin went 19-for-24 from the line while Minnesota was only 8-for-13.

Reason to be Concerned: Klesmit went through warmups but missed his first game in two years, not a surprise after hearing head coach Greg Gard talking about the injury Wednesday. How long Klesmit will be out, especially with some tougher competition coming up on the schedule, is a storyline.

Don’t overlook: Wisconsin has touted its depth since the beginning of the season but stuck with its same starting five and eight-to-nine-man rotation. Without Klesmit, McGee had 15 points, five rebounds, three steals, two assists, and is 3-for-4 on 3-point attempts in his first collegiate start.

What’s next: Wisconsin stays at home for its opening against Ohio State on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes (10-6, 2-3) registered two of the Big Ten’s best out-of-conference wins in knocking off No.19 Texas and No.4 Kentucky on neutral sites but have struggled in conference play, having lost two of three with the one win coming in double overtime at Minnesota. Led by Bruce Thornton’s 17.1 points, Ohio State has four players averaging in double figures and seven players scoring at least 7.0 per game.

UW has won four of the last five meetings in the series. The tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be televised on Peacock.

_________________________________________________

*Chat about this article in The Badgers' Den

*Check out our videos, interviews, and Q&As on our YouTube channel

*Subscribe and listen to the BadgerBlitz.com podcast (as seen on Apple, Google, Spotify and wherever you listen to podcasts)

*Follow us on Twitter: @McNamaraRivals, @TheBadgerNation, @_Perko_, @seamus_rohrer, @DonnieSlusher_

*Like us on Facebook