(UW ATHLETICS) MINNEAPOLIS – The No. 12 Wisconsin men’s basketball team earned a season sweep over the Minnesota Gophers on Wednesday, with a 74-67 road victory at Williams Arena.
The teams engaged in a physical, defensive-oriented game, with each side answering the other during scoring runs.
Badgers coach Greg Gard said that it was another road win in the Big Ten.
Gard talked about his team’s defensive play.
Gard also talked about Jack Janicki (6 pts) losing a tooth near the end.
Gard also talked about being down 55-53 and how Wisconsin was able to turn things for the better and win.
John Blackwell led the way with 25 points and 11 rebounds, his second double-double in just a three-game span. John Tonje pitched in 18 points and seven rebounds despite running into foul trouble. Minnesota-native Steven Crowl added 10 points and dished out three assists.
Minnesota stormed back from an 11-point Badger lead in the second half, but Wisconsin regained control in the closing minutes. A tough layup from Blackwell with 49 seconds left in the game ended up being the dagger, bringing the Badger lead up to seven points.
UW would knock down the late game free throws to seal its 74-67 victory.
With 38 combined fouls between the two teams, the game came down to hustle play. Wisconsin battled for loose balls, and fought through tight defense, out rebounding the Gophers 41-34. UW held Minnesota to just 41% from the field.
The Badgers ability to draw-and-convert from the charity stripe ultimately ended up being the key difference. Wisconsin shot 21-for-24 from the free throw line, while the Gopher went just 8-for-15
Another Minnesota-native, Jack Janicki, provided a big spark off the bench. The freshman scored in key moments during crunch time, killing any Gopher momentum. Janicki mixed in a fade away, a dunk, and well-timed cuts to the basket en route to six second-half points.
The Badgers built up a first-half lead by scoring from inside the arc. Blackwell and Tonje each scored in double-digits during the first frame by driving to the basket. Of the Badgers 33 first-half points, 16 came in the paint.
The win marked Wisconsin’s ninth-straight over Minnesota. The Badgers are now 23-7 on the season, with a 13-6 mark in conference play.
Notable:
- Wisconsin’s 23-7 record is the 2nd-best 30-game record under Greg Gard, and tied for the seventh best in school history.
- Wisconsin won its ninth-straight game against Minnesota dating back to 2020. That is the Badgers’ second-longest win streak over the Gophers, trailing 10 consecutive wins from 1912 to 1916.
- Sophomore John Blackwell recorded his second double-double in the last three games, finishing with a game-high 25 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Blackwell is averaging 21.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg over the last three contests and topped 20 points for the 7th time this season.
- Steven Crowl improved to 8-0 against Minnesota in his career.
- Crowl played in his 146th career game tonight, surpassing Frank Kaminsky for the fifth most games played in program history.
Up Next:
Wisconsin wraps up the regular season against Penn State on Saturday. Tip is set for noon at the Kohl Center.
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