Field Level Media
08 Mar 2026, 05:25 GMT+10
(Photo credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images)
John Blackwell scored 25 points to lead sweet-shooting Wisconsin to a 97-93 win Saturday at No. 15 Purdue in a Big Ten regular-season finale.
Nick Boyd had 23 points, Austin Rapp scored 17 points and Alexsas Bieliauskas added 16 points for Wisconsin (22-9, 14-6), which has won four straight games against ranked teams for the first time since it reached the NCAA championship game in 2014-15.
Wisconsin, which played without top big man Nolan Winter due to an ankle injury, made a season-high 18 3-pointers while hitting 52.9% from 3-point range and 87.5% at the free-throw line. The Badgers can earn the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten tournament and the accompanying triple bye if Illinois loses Sunday at Maryland.
Fletcher Loyer scored 23 points, Braden Smith had 20 points and Trey Kaufman-Renn added 17 points in the trio's final game at Mackey Arena for Purdue (23-8, 13-7), which held a 34-22 rebounding advantage. The Boilers shot 11 of 25 from 3-point range and 34 of 67 overall.
The teams swapped the lead four times in the second half before Wisconsin took the lead for good on Andrew Rhode's 3-pointer with 8:57 to go.
Each time Purdue would make a big shot, such as Loyer's 3-pointer from the corner that cut the lead to 92-91 with 1:24, Wisconsin would respond. Boyd banked home a jump hook to restore a 3-point edge.
After Purdue's Oscar Cluff split a pair of free throws with 29.4 seconds left, the Boilers fouled Braeden Carrington and he sank two free throws to give Wisconsin a 96-92 lead.
Kaufman-Renn split a pair of free throws with 13.0 seconds left to make it 96-93, then Boyd did the same. Purdue then missed a pair of 3-point shots before the buzzer sounded.
Wisconsin trailed 32-28 with 6:50 remaining in the first half, but countered with a 9-0 run to take a 37-32 lead with 5:25 to go until halftime.
The Badgers led by as many as seven points in the first half before taking a 52-47 lead into the locker room at halftime. They set a program record for 3-pointers in a half by hitting 12 of 22.
Purdue held a 62-61 lead with 14:59 left, but Wisconsin went on a 7-0 run to take a 69-62 lead with 13:03 remaining.
The Boilermakers fought back to take a 73-72 lead with 10:06 left, until Wisconsin answered back with a 9-2 surge to grab an 81-75 lead with 8:29 remaining.
--Field Level Media
Get a daily dose of San Jose Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to San Jose Sun.
More Information(Photo credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images) John Blackwell scored 25 points to lead sweet-shooting Wisconsin to a 97-93 win Saturday...
(Photo credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images) Juke Harris poured in 31 points, and Wake Forest overcame a miserable start to the game in...
(Photo credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images) Olympic hero Jack Hughes recorded his fourth career hat trick and second this season, lifting...
(Photo credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images) Kanon Catchings led five players in double figures with 23 points as Georgia rode a 3-point-shooting...
(Photo credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images) Desmond Bane scored 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting, and the Orlando Magic held on for...
(Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images) St. Bonaventure basketball coach Mark Schmidt announced Saturday that he will retire...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: Iranian missile strikes on key sites in the United Arab Emirates have shaken confidence in one of the world's fastest-growing...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Talks over a landmark U.S. cryptocurrency bill have stalled again after banks rejected a compromise proposal backed...
DUBAI, U.A.E: Even as thousands of airline passengers are stranded across the Gulf region due to the war, some wealthy travelers are...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks ended well in the red on Friday as investors grappled with an escalating conflict in the Middle East...
DAKAR, Senegal: In fields across West Africa, farmers are increasingly turning to TikTok and other social media platforms to market...
MUMBAI, India: Walmart-backed Indian fintech firm PhonePe is targeting a valuation of between US$9 billion and $10.5 billion in its...
