The Wisconsin Badgers gave Greg Gard a near-perfect birthday present with an 85-73 win over the Northwestern Wildcats. The Badgers dominated the first half, going up by as many as 27 points and taking a 55-32 lead into halftime.
What made this game a good birthday gift for Gard was how well the Badgers played in that first half. Wisconsin ended its stellar first half with fifteen assists and zero turnovers. It was an improved performance in that aspect than against TCU, where the Badgers gave up 17 turnovers. In addition, Wisconsin scored 18 points off seven Northwestern first-half turnovers.
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One of the defensive keys to the game was containing Nick Martinelli, and the Badgers succeeded. The Northwestern star was held to nine points on 2-of-5 shots from the floor in the first half. Martinelli finished with 14 points but attempted only eight field goal attempts. You will take that if you are Wisconsin.
While the Badgers got the win, the second half of Wednesday’s game left a lot to be desired. Wisconsin seemed to take its foot off the gas, as the Wildcats outscored the Badgers 41-30. Helping Northwestern get back into the game was Wisconsin’s seven turnovers in the second half.
That said, I am not going to complain too much about a double-digit Big Ten win in December.
Here are three things that stood out in Wisconsin’s win over Northwestern.
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John Blackwell
Blackwell was the best player on the court, commanding the ball and getting himself into great scoring positions, whether in the paint or from behind the three-point line. The junior guard was aggressive in the first half, finishing with an impressive 23 points on 7-of-11 shots from the floor, including hitting five three-pointers to pace the Badgers. Blackwell finished the game with 26 points and a season-high 11 rebounds, his first double-double of the year.
Andrew Rohde
One of Rohde’s strengths this season has been how well he passes the ball in Greg Gard’s offense. On Wednesday, his passing and overall ball-handing were on display in the Badgers’ stellar first half. Rohde dished out seven first-half assists and finished with nine on the day. In addition, he also scored his 1,000th point in his collegiate basketball career, along with John Blackwell.
Nick Boyd’s 2nd half
Boyd was not a factor in the Badgers’ big first half, finishing with only two points while connecting on zero field goal attempts. I would not be surprised if Gard challenged Boyd at halftime to be more assertive. After halftime, it was a much different story. Boyd had 18 points in the second half, using his speed to get downhill and finish at the rim. Boyd’s speed was on full display early in the second half, as he connected on layups while getting fouled for a three-point play before the 15-minute mark.
