The Wisconsin Badgers had a big 86-55 win over the Ball State Cardinals on Tuesday, starting off fast for the second consecutive game and never trailing from there.
It was Wisconsin’s most consistent game
to date, as they played clean basketball for 30 minutes, with the end of the first half being the lone gaffe from the team.
It was an all-around effort on Tuesday, with Nolan Winter leading the way with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Behind him, four other Badgers got into double figures, with Braeden Carrington scoring 12 off the bench, all in the second half.
1st Half
Coming off big wins against Northern Illinois and Campbell, the Badgers looked to carry that scoring prowess and energy into the game early against the Ball State Cardinals.
Wisconsin did just that, scoring a quick 30 points in the first ten minutes of the half before hitting a cold stretch and managing only nine points in the final ten minutes.
Nick Boyd and Nolan Winter led the early charge for the Badgers with eight and seven points, respectively. Boyd hit a pair of threes to extend the lead early, while Winter connected on a catch-and-shoot three to extend Wisconsin’s lead to 30-8 with 10:47 remaining in the half. Initially, it looked like the Badgers would crack the 60-point mark within the first half; however, a series of bad shots, turnovers, and a defensive scheme switch from the Cardinals killed Wisconsin’s momentum.
The key to success offensively for Wisconsin was the clear interior advantage they possessed. Wisconsin’s four main big men—Will Garlock, Nolan Winter, Austin Rapp, and Aleksas Bieliauskas—played quality minutes early, rotating in every 3 to 4 minutes and playing cohesively together.
The Badgers ran a down screen action, allowing one of the big men to get a smaller matchup and an advantageous position near the basket. From there, Wisconsin swung it around the horn, allowing the defense to rotate and leaving the post man open for an over-the-head pass and easy shot. The Badgers converted three times on this play and finished with 16 points in the paint in the half, mostly from Nolan Winter.
Another big success for the Badgers was their work on the offensive glass, totaling 11 offensive rebounds. Interestingly enough, that was only one off of the Cardinals’ defensive rebounding total of 12. The Badgers used their ability to easily get to the basket to create open shots at and around the rim, and used their height advantage to grant them extra chances to get the ball in the basket.
However, the Badgers really struggled to hit their shots from outside, going 6-of-23 from three in the first half and ending on a brutal 1-of-12 run from beyond the arc in the final minutes of the period. The offense also seemed to struggle getting to the free-throw line with only three attempts in the first half, which is unusual for this Wisconsin team.
Instead, the team seemed to settle for threes. Going into the locker room for the half, the leading scorers for the Badgers were Nolan Winter with 11 points and seven rebounds, and Nick Boyd with eight points. Jack Janicki and Austin Rapp also added five points apiece, but no other Badger scored more than four.
Defensively, the Badgers started the game with high discipline and a high motor. Ball State started the game 0-of-3 with two turnovers before guard Devon Barnes knocked down a big three to make it 7-3. The Badgers kept constant pressure on the ball handler and limited driving opportunities while also playing strong help defense, making it hard to score inside the paint. Austin Rapp and Aleksas Bieliauskas each had a block, while Nolan Winter had two of his own.
The Badgers also did a great job limiting second-chance points with a total of only four offensive rebounds in the first half for the Cardinals and only two second-chance points allowed. The Badgers’ quick rotations and tough on-ball defense created turnovers and allowed for transition opportunities, with three steals and eight forced turnovers from the Badgers, leading to 10 points. The Badgers limited Ball State’s ability to drive and kick completely, as the Cardinals struggled to kick out from inside the paint with all the hands and taller defenders in the way.
Wisconsin allowed a mere eight points from the Cardinals in the first 10 minutes of the game, but a lack of offensive production and bad turnovers allowed Ball State to gain momentum, including an 8-0 run to cut the lead from 22 to 14 with five minutes to go in the first half.
Ball State initially started 1-of-11 from three before hitting back-to-back threes in the final three minutes. The Badgers’ defense was a key factor in keeping the Cardinals out of rhythm, maintaining high pressure, and forcing bad decisions.
The Badgers went into the locker room up 13 with a score of 39-26.
2nd Half
The Badgers came out of the locker room ready to put away the Cardinals and regain the momentum they initially had in the first half. The Badgers started with a strong and-one from Nolan Winter, followed by a quick layup by Andrew Rohde, but the Cardinals answered both scores with a three from forward Mason Jones and a nice layup from Devon Barnes to keep the lead at 13. But, the Badgers continued to attack the paint, with Nick Boyd getting two quick layups and John Blackwell hitting his second three of the game to push the lead to 18.
The Badgers’ defense continued to suffocate Ball State, forcing bad shots, blocking attempts inside the paint, and getting their hands in the passing lanes to create fastbreak opportunities. Barnes was the only bright spot for the Cardinals, scoring six of the first 12 points for Ball State in the second half, including a clean mid-range jumper over Braeden Carrington. But, at that point, the Badgers’ offense had already gotten into rhythm and was rolling.
At the 11-minute mark of the second half, the Badgers had already doubled their halftime lead from 13 to 27. From the 11-minute mark to 7:54 left in the second, the Badgers outscored the Cardinals 15-2, leading to the largest lead of the game at 35 points.
The Badgers knocked down three threes during that stretch and overall shot much better in the second half, converting 8-of-15 attempts from beyond the arc. The Badgers’ three-point shooting revival and their tough defense made all the difference in the run. With two turnovers and four contested shots in that stretch, it was difficult for the smaller Ball State team to shoot over the length this Wisconsin team has.
Braeden Carrington continued to shine in the second half after going scoreless in the first, going 2-of-4 from deep and adding two layups inside for 12 points on the day. Carrington was one of 5 Badgers in double figures, joining Winter (19 points, 10 rebounds), Boyd (12 points), Rapp (11 points), and Rohde (10 points).
The interior dominance continued throughout the second half as the Badgers finished with 34 points in the paint for the game. Aleksas Bieliauskas was particularly effective off the bench, contributing six points on 3-of-4 shooting while pulling down eight rebounds. The Badgers’ bench provided a solid 26 points, showcasing the team’s impressive depth as well as Gard’s rotations.
Wisconsin’s defensive effort was relentless throughout the second half, finishing with eight blocks and five steals for the game. The Badgers held Ball State to just 29 second-half points and forced six total turnovers. Austin Rapp was a defensive force with 3 blocks in the game and two coming in the second half, while the length and athleticism of the Wisconsin front line proved too much for the Cardinals to handle.
The Badgers shot an impressive 65.4 percent from the field in the second half (17-of-26) compared to their 47 percent in the first half, a testament to their halftime adjustments and renewed focus. They also went a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line in the second half after their struggles getting there in the first period. For the game, Wisconsin finished 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.
The final score of 86-55 gave Wisconsin a commanding 31-point victory, just shy of their largest lead of 35 points earlier in the half, and showcased the Badgers’ ability to dominate on both ends of the floor.
With the victory, Wisconsin improved its record to 3-0 and looks to continue to dominate its early-season schedule.
