Wisconsin basketball ties Big Ten Tournament record in win over UCLA
The Wisconsin Badgers made Big Ten Tournament history in their dominant 86-70 triumph over the UCLA Bruins on Friday.
The team's 19 three-point makes tied the 2021-22 Iowa Hawkeyes for the most in tournament history.
Fueled by Naismith College Player of the Year semifinalist John Tonje, The Badgers drilled 12 looks from outside in the first half, seven of which arrived in the first nine minutes of play. Tonje connected on four looks from outside in the opening stanza, while center Steven Crowl, sophomore guard John Blackwell and forward Xavier Amos each nailed a pair of three-point attempts.
UW rode that sharp-shooting to a 48-29 edge at intermission. It did so on a staggering 61.5% from the floor and 63.2% from outside (12-of-19). The Bruins, meanwhile, made just 11 total field goal attempts in the first 20 minutes.
The Badgers were on fire from beyond the arc in their quarterfinals win over UCLA 🦡#B1GMBBT x @BadgerMBBpic.twitter.com/dOOMbBYuzA
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 14, 2025
Tonje and Blackwell continued their three-point performance with a pair of makes in the second half, this time with an added boost from bench guard Kamari McGee. He netted two three-pointers in the final period, the second of which tied the Big Ten Tournament record with several minutes remaining on the game clock.
With the game salted away, Wisconsin quickly emptied its bench. The unit didn't push for the single-game record, given the score and Greg Gard's respect for the conference opponent. UW finished the game with a 19-of-32 (59.4%) clip from three-point range.
Tonje walked off the hardwood with a game-best 26 points off a perfect 6-of-6 from outside, followed by 18 points (4-of-8 from deep) from Blackwell. Both Crowl and McGee added exactly three makes from beyond the arc.
Prior to Friday's performance, Wisconsin had showcased its shooting capabilities in a road loss to the Bruins in late January. The Badgers made 15 three-pointers in that bout, including 10 in the first half. A few weeks earlier, UW made a program record 21 against the Hawkeyes at the Kohl Center.
After several subpar shooting performances to close the year against Oregon, Michigan State and Penn State, Wisconsin is clicking offensively at the perfect time of the season. UW will require a repeat shooting performance on Saturday when it plays Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Basketball vs UCLA tournament win recap three-point stats
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