NFL
By: Melo Williams
The Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team improved to 4-0 on the season pulling off the upset, defeating the No. 9 Arizona Wildcats 103-88 Friday night in front of a sold out crowd at the Kohl Center.
With the win, Wisconsin now has its 13th win over a top-10 opponent in 10 seasons under head coach Greg Gard.
Friday night 15-point win was UW’s largest over a top-10 team since a 18-point 67-49 win over No. 5 Michigan State on February 2, 2010.
Wisconsin’s 103 points were its most since scoring 105 points in last seasons win vs Arkansas State. Also its most against a ranked opponent in program history, breaking the century mark for the first time against a ranked opponent since February 10, 1970 at No. 14 Iowa, though the Badgers lost 100-119.
Besides scoring, Wisconsin defense was superb. Arizona is a top ten scoring team in the country that like to play fast up tempo basketball but the Badgers did great getting back on the defense while playing great transition defense.
Wisconsin did well playing the passing lanes, switching on the screens, with help defense, and matched Arizona’s physicality.
John Tonje set the scoring tone at the tip-off by being aggressive attacking the defense driving to the rim, knocking down his threes and free-throws leading all scorers in scoring with a career high 41 points (8-14 FG, 4-6 3FG, 21-22 FT) also contributing 6 rebounds, and 1 assists.
Tonje’s 41 points is the most for a Badger since Frank Kaminsky scored Wisconsin’s program record 43 points in a win over North Dakota November 19, 2013. Ken Barnes and Michael Finley both are tied for second place with 42 points.
Tonje on his career night: “I had a great great prayer before the game. Belief in God anything can happen. I mean I wasn’t expecting to have a night like this but when you have a belief in a man like that, then anything can happen.”
John Tonje scored 22 first-half points, the most for a Badger in a half since Brad Davidson 23 points vs Michigan State on February 25, 2018
Tonje did break Wisconsin single-game record for made free throws, finishing with 21. The previous high was 17 by Dale Koehler and Nigel Hayes.
Sophomore John Blackwell added 14 points (3-8 FG, 1-3 3FG, 7-8 FT), 3 rebounds and 1 steal.
Max Klesmit finished with 13 points (3-7 FG, 1-5 3FG, 6-6 FT) 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.
From the start of the game, Klesmit and Arizona guard Caleb Love was chirping at each other leading to Love getting emotional drawing a technical foul early in the first half.
Love is one of the best scorers in the country, however Wisconsin defense against Caleb Love was led by Klesmit and Blackwell not letting him breath contesting every shot holding him to 6 points. Love eventually fouled out with 3 of his 5 fouls being frustration fouls.
Steven Crowl dished out a game-high 6 assists also finishing with 8 points and 4 rebounds.
Though the Badgers were out rebounded, Wisconsin shared the ball better dishing out 17 assists to Arizona’s 6. Wisconsin now has 17+ assists in back-to-back games.
Wisconsin has become a 3-point shooting team. The Badgers went 12-27 from the three marking the third time in 3 of 4 games this season they made 11+ threes. Last season Wisconsin only hit 11+ threes in 2 games.
The Badgers went to the free throw line a staggering 47 times knocking down 41 (87%) and is now shooting an NCAA-leading 90% (90-100) from the charity stripe on the season.
Wisconsin never trailed in the game with its biggest lead reaching 18 points. The Badgers had the lead for 38:54 of the game while the game was only tied for 1:06.
Head coach Greg Gard said with the win going forward this season “It should give them confidence.”
“It shows what they can be, what the potential of this group is. We can talk about it and I can tell them but they have to go play and prove it out on the court and I think tonight was good.”
Next up for Wisconsin is a home game versus UT Rio Grande Valley, Monday night, November 18, 2024.
