Despite stumbling over the final five-plus weeks of the regular season, the University of Wisconsin felt they were starting to turn a corner as a collective unit heading into the postseason but didn't get the results to prove it.
That wasn’t the case in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Executing a near-perfect first half on offense and getting a defensive effort to match it, fifth-seed Wisconsin never relented and crushed No.12-seed Maryland, 87-56, at the Target Center in Minneapolis Thursday afternoon.
The Badgers (20-12) shot 51.7 percent overall, hit a season-high 16 three-pointers, and averaged 1.318 points per possession against the conference’s top-scoring defense. The 31-point margin of victory is tied for the third-largest in the history of the conference tournament.
Freshman John Blackwell scored a team-high 18 points, Steven Crowl added 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting, A.J. Storr chipped in 16 points and five rebounds, while Chucky Hepburn had 10 points on a perfect 4-for-4 shooting to go with eight assists.
UW was equally impactful defensively, holding Maryland (16-17) to .889 points per possession and making life hard on first-team all-conference guard Jarmir Young (18 points on 15 shots), Julian Reese (10 on eight shots), and Donta Scott (four points, four turnovers).
Carried all season long by an offense that ranked 18th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, Wisconsin was nearly flawless, and it started from the inside out.
Held scoreless before fouling out in Sunday’s loss at Purdue, Crowl registered an offensive rebound and second-chance basket on the opening possession and his ability to pass out of the double team led to open looks on the perimeter. Unlike Sunday, the Badgers didn’t miss.
After going 5-for-24 from the perimeter in the loss at No.3 Purdue, Wisconsin hit its first five perimeter attempts in the opening 7:01, building a 21-9 lead that it continued to extend.
Wisconsin pushed the margin to 19 off a 14-2 run that Blackwell sparked. Having reached double figures in four of the last five games, Blackwell scored eight points (3-for-3 FGs), had two rebounds (one offensive), and drew an offensive foul on the run.
Leading 46-27 at halftime, the Badgers had 14 assists on 18 field goals, were plus-9 on the glass, and averaged 1.621 points per possession.
And unlike previous games where UW had let big leads slip, the Badgers started the second half on an 18-0 run in the first 4:45 of the half to push the lead to 39.
What it means: Winning its first Big Ten Tournament game since 2021 and its first game away from home since January 23, Wisconsin proved how dangerous they can be when things are clicking.
Star of the game: Blackwell’s star potential continues to grow, as the freshman’s on-floor impact on both ends of the floor was noticeable and critical in the Badgers getting off on the right foot.
Stat of the game: Maryland entered Thursday allowing just 5.1 three-pointers per game, first among all major conference teams. UW hit six after just nine minutes of game time.
Reason to be Concerned: Can Wisconsin be this locked in and efficient tomorrow considering they will not be the tired team going against the well-rested one? The good thing is head coach Greg Gard got to rest his starters for most of the second half.
Don’t overlook: Having not made a field goal since February 10 (0-7), Connor Essegian came off the bench with a force in the second half, scoring nine points in less than three minutes, hitting a pair of three-pointers, and converting a three-point play on a drive to the rim.
What’s next: Wisconsin will look to carry its hot shooting into Friday afternoon’s matchup with fourth-seed Northwestern (1:30 p.m./BTN). Led by unanimous first-team all-conference selection boo Buie, the Wildcats (21-10) played the Badgers once in the regular season, a 71-63 victory in Madison on January 13. UW is 2-0 against Northwestern in tournament play.
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