NFL
By: Melo Williams
The Wisconsin Badgers improved to (8-4, 1-1) after defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas 88-61 on Monday, at the Kohl Center snapping a two-game losing streak.
Wisconsin improved to 4-2 all-time against Central Michigan, including a 4-0 record in Madison.
The Badgers took the floor without John Blackwell who was listed as questionable coming into the game and ruled out before game time.
With Blackwell out the Badgers would miss his 19 PPG and everything he brings, the question was, how would the team respond?
The Badgers answered the call. It was a major positive to see how Wisconsin played without their star player.
Freshman Hayden Jones got the nod for his first career start, scoring a career-high 6 points with 4 rebounds.
Nolan Winter played great all around basketball before exiting the game late in the 2nd half with an ankle injury.
Winter finished with 18 points (6-9 FG, 5-6 FT), 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block.
Austin Rapp came off the bench and provided Wisconsin with 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-7 3FG), 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in 20 minutes of action.
Nick Boyd didnt have his best scoring night finishing with 12 points (3-8, 6-8 FT) but his impact on the defensive end and on the glass finishing with 4 rebounds.
Andrew Rohde had another all-around game finishing with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists.
Wisconsin used a commanding 25-3 scoring run in the second half to turn a 13-point lead into a 35-point buffer and put the game out of reach.
Ball movement and high production from the bench by the Badgers bench were major factors in the victory.
The team recorded a season-high 25 assists. The last time the Badgers collected 25 assists was last season’s win vs Iowa (1/3/25).
Jack Janicki led all players with a career-high 9 assists and Alexis Bieliauskas collected a career-high 4 assists.
Janicki is the second Badger this season with an 9-assist game, joining Andrew Rhode (9 vs Northwestern, 12/3).
Wisconsin bench contributed a season-high 44 points.
Braeden Carrington provided 9 points (3-6 FG, 3-6 3FG)
Freshman Will Garlock scored 4 points and
hauled in a career-high 5 rebounds, playing a career-best 14 minutes.
Freshman Zach Kinziger was able to see 13 minutes of action in his collegiate
debut, scoring 6 points while going 2-for-4
from the 3-point line, and collecting 2 assists.
Inside The Den Stats Facts
Wisconsin had 11 players score in the win, tied for the most this season (Northern Illinois)
Badgers shot 53.7% from the field in the win (29-for-54) – the highest mark of the
season
The Badgers 29 field goals came off a season high 25 assists
The game marked the first time in at least the past 20 years that UW totaled 25 or more assists on fewer than 30 field goal makes.
UW went 13-for-31 from the 3-point line (41.9%).
The Badgers are averaging 11.0 3FGs per
game, which matches Nebraska for the most in the Big Ten and ranks 15th nationally.
The Badgers have made double-digit triples in 8 of 12 games this season, going 7-1 in such games.
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Next Up: 12/30 vs UW-Milwaukee at the Kohl Center at 6 PM.
