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Wisconsin basketball advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 Big Ten Tournament with a decisive 86-70 win over UCLA on Friday.
The Badgers rediscovered their top form in the win. Just as the team did in notable triumphs over Arizona, Iowa, Purdue and Illinois earlier in the season, it shot a blistering mark from three-point range (59.4%), quickly creating a margin that UCLA could not overcome.
That hot shooting began at the opening tip. Wisconsin made its first four three-point looks, eight of its first 11 and 12 of its first 17. John Tonje led that effort with a flawless 6-of-6 overall mark from deep, 4-of-4 in the first half. He led the Badgers to a 19-point halftime lead, one that never dipped below 12 points in the second half of play.
Wisconsin ended up tying a Big Ten Tournament record with 19 three-point makes. The final one came from Kamari McGee with 3:10 remaining, extending the Badgers' lead to 86-59. Greg Gard then emptied his bench for the final minutes of action. Had Wisconsin needed to keep scoring, it would have had little trouble shattering that record.
Overall, the Badgers shot a blistering 30-of-58 (51.7%) from the floor. The team assisted on 22 of those 30 makes, a statistic that properly displays its ball movement and offensive cohesion throughout the contest. Unlike when these two teams met in Los Angeles, California, in January, a game that UCLA won 85-83, the Bruins failed to trade punches offensively. It shot just 32.4% overall. As mentioned, Wisconsin led by 27 points before emptying the bench for the final minutes of action.
Wisconsin looked like one of the best teams in the country on Friday afternoon. Here are some of the more notable reactions from Badger fans, plus local and national college basketball media:
Wisconsin takes on Michigan State on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, noon CT. The winner moves on to the finals of the Big Ten Tournament, scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball UCLA Big Ten Tournament game reaction
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The Badgers rediscovered their top form in the win. Just as the team did in notable triumphs over Arizona, Iowa, Purdue and Illinois earlier in the season, it shot a blistering mark from three-point range (59.4%), quickly creating a margin that UCLA could not overcome.
That hot shooting began at the opening tip. Wisconsin made its first four three-point looks, eight of its first 11 and 12 of its first 17. John Tonje led that effort with a flawless 6-of-6 overall mark from deep, 4-of-4 in the first half. He led the Badgers to a 19-point halftime lead, one that never dipped below 12 points in the second half of play.
Wisconsin ended up tying a Big Ten Tournament record with 19 three-point makes. The final one came from Kamari McGee with 3:10 remaining, extending the Badgers' lead to 86-59. Greg Gard then emptied his bench for the final minutes of action. Had Wisconsin needed to keep scoring, it would have had little trouble shattering that record.
Overall, the Badgers shot a blistering 30-of-58 (51.7%) from the floor. The team assisted on 22 of those 30 makes, a statistic that properly displays its ball movement and offensive cohesion throughout the contest. Unlike when these two teams met in Los Angeles, California, in January, a game that UCLA won 85-83, the Bruins failed to trade punches offensively. It shot just 32.4% overall. As mentioned, Wisconsin led by 27 points before emptying the bench for the final minutes of action.
Wisconsin looked like one of the best teams in the country on Friday afternoon. Here are some of the more notable reactions from Badger fans, plus local and national college basketball media:
Wisconsin ties the three-point record
Wisconsin is a fun watch when the offense is clicking
Jon Rothstein reacts
Big Cat is excited
John Blackwell and John Tonje were dominant
Jokes from the Indiana fanbase
A disappointing loss to Wisconsin? Mick Cronin making a strong statement about his readiness to be the next IU coach. https://t.co/naoubYqQhl
— Assembly Call (,) (@AssemblyCall) March 14, 2025
Kamari McGee sends the Badgers to the semifinals
Wisconsin building terrific momentum
Bucky Badger pretended to swim across the entire court
Good game for Greg Gard
More reaction
Wisconsin takes on Michigan State on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, noon CT. The winner moves on to the finals of the Big Ten Tournament, scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin basketball UCLA Big Ten Tournament game reaction
Continue reading...
