Wisconsin ties Big Ten Tournament record in win over UCLA
The Wisconsin Badgers made 19 three-pointers in their 86-70 Big Ten quarterfinal win over the UCLA Bruins on Friday, matching the Big Ten tournament record for the most threes made in a single game, set by the Iowa Hawkeyes in their 2022 second-round win against Northwestern.
Entering the game, UCLA led the Big Ten in opponent points per game, giving up an average of just 65.1. Wisconsin’s 86 points were the second-most points allowed by the Bruins this season, (94 against Michigan).
The Badgers opened the game going 4-of-4 from three for their first 12 points. By halftime, Wisconsin had scored 36 of their 48 points from beyond the arc, going 12-of-19. UCLA had just 29 points as a team at the break, making just 11 shots.
The 19-point halftime lead was Wisconsin’s largest of the season. Wisconsin’s 12 first-half three pointers tied a program record for most made in a half.
Wisconsin finished 19-of-32 from the perimeter, with John Tonje, Steven Crowl and Kamari McGee combining for a perfect 12-of-12.
Tonje began the game shooting 9-of-9 from the field, 6-of-6 from three and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line before missing his lone field goal with 5:26 left in the game. In the win, Tonje climbed to the third-most points scored in a single season by a player in program history.
Wisconsin advances to the Big Ten tournament semifinals for the second consecutive season. The last time Wisconsin reached back-to-back Big Ten tournament semifinals came in 2014-2015.
The Badgers will face the top-seeded Michigan State Spartans in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday. The two teams previously met on March 2, with Wisconsin falling 71-62.
In the loss, the Badgers struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 5-of-32. To pull off an upset, head coach Greg Gard will need a performance similar to the sharp-shooting display Wisconsin delivered on Friday.
