MADISON, Wis. – Starting Big Ten play was apparently what the University of Wisconsin needed to inject some urgency into the rotation.
Playing with a fire and an intensity that was missing at times during their up-and-down trip to the West Coast, the Badgers started Big Ten play with an emphatic 85-73 victory over Northwestern at the Kohl Center.
Junior John Blackwell continued his hot streak with 26 points and added 11 rebounds of his first double-double of the season but was hardly alone in the production.
Nick Boyd (20), Austin Rapp (13), and Nolan Winter (12) all reached double figures, and Andrew Rohde had nine assists. The Badgers (6-2, 1-0 Big Ten) won their conference opener for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons and won for the fifth straight time over the Wildcats.
Wisconsin swept the season series against the Wildcats last season by winning a pair of grinders by an average of 6.5 points. The Badgers led by as many as 29 points Wednesday because their offense functioned.
The Badgers’ first 11 baskets all had an assist attached to it, a streak broken by Jack Janicki hitting a floater after driving into the lane with 6:55 remaining in the half. Janicki’s shot was more an anomaly, as the Badgers had 15 assists on 17 baskets in the first half.
UW was also opportunistic. The Wildcats were fifth nationally with 8.9 turnovers per game. The Badgers forced seven and scored off all of them, 18 points in total. Not creating a turnover themselves, the Badgers had scoring runs of 11-0 and 11-1 in the first half.
Arrinten Page scored 21 points for the Wildcats (5-3), which went 2-3 on their five-game road trip. Nick Martinelli – Northwestern’s leading scorer at 20.6 ppg – had 14 points and eight rebounds as he battled through a mid-game ankle injury and defense from Rohde and Winter.
What it means: This is how Wisconsin’s offense is supposed to look. Boyd diving on the floor to keep possessions alive, Rohde delivering perfect passes to cutters, forwards attacking the glass for rebounds and buckets, and Blackwell staying red hot. Northwestern is not BYU, but the Badgers beating a legit power-conference team for the first time this season has to mean something.
Star of the game: Blackwell’s first-half performance was a model of efficiency. He scored 23 points on 11 shots (5-for-8 on 3s) and added four rebounds, an assist, and a steal. He has elevated his game to another level for the Badgers.
Stat of the game: Wisconsin had a 15-0 assist-to-turnover ratio in the first half. The Badgers forced seven turnovers and scored off every one of them, 18 points in total.
Reason to be Concerned: Winter battled foul trouble for most of the night. Head coach Greg Gard made a bold move by inserting freshman forward Aleksas Bieliauskas in the starting lineup in place of struggling forward Rapp, a move that seem to spark both players (Bieliauskas had six points, three rebounds), but the Badgers need their junior center, who is averaging a double-double through seven games, on the court.
Don’t overlook: Boyd delivered one of the more athletic plays of the night. Not only did he dive on the floor to secure a steal, but the senior also kept his dribble and head up to find Winter open for an alley-oop. The play happened on the eighth possession of the game but set the tone for the night.
What’s next: Wisconsin returns to nonconference play to host the annual I-94 showdown against Marquette on Saturday (1 p.m./FS1). It’s been a struggle this season for Shake Smart and the Golden Eagles (5-4), who prefers to recruit and develop from within instead of rebuild through the portal. Without all-conference guard Kam Jones, Marquette is 0-4 against power-conference opponents, ranks No.109 in adjusted offensive efficiency, and No.70 in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Wisconsin has won three of the last four in a series that dates back to 1917, with the third-ranked Golden Eagles winning by 14 last season in Milwaukee.
More Wisconsin Badgers News:
Wisconsin Badgers seeing Braeden Carrington settling into critical role for Greg Gard
Wisconsin Badgers extend partnership with Under Armour
Preview: Wisconsin Badgers open Big Ten play against battle-tested Northwestern
Recap: Wisconsin Badgers cruise past Northwestern, 85
