The Wisconsin Badgers got in the win column in their second exhibition game on Wednesday evening, beating the UW-Platteville Pioneers 69-53 in the ninth annual Garding Against Cancer game.
It was an ugly start for the Badgers, who couldn’t get much going offensively, falling behind 7-0 to start the game and trailing 17-16 after the first 12 minutes. But, they had a strong end to the first half and led the rest of the way in a game that was closer than the final score indicated.
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Nolan Winter led the way with 17 points on 8/11 from the field, while also grabbing 15 rebounds. Wisconsin shot 47.4 percent from the field, but was just 6/25 from three and 9/19 at the free-throw line. They did have a solid defensive performance, settling in after some early miscues to force the Pioneers under 40 percent from the field.
Here’s our recap of Wednesday’s exhibition game.
First Half
The Pioneers came into the Kohl Center looking to steal a win against the Badgers, and they started the game with that exact mentality. Off the back of a nice stepback three by Max Love and two jumpers from Pioneer guard Bristol Lewis, UW-Platteville jumped out to a 7-0 lead within the first three minutes of the game.
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Portland transfer Austin Rapp was the first to knock down a shot for the Badgers, hitting threes on back-to-back possessions. Rapp scored eight points in the half, shooting 3-of-6 from the field and 2-of-5 from three. His early play really gave Wisconsin a sense of rhythm in what looked to be a very stagnant offense.
As soon as the Badgers took a 10-7 lead, Platteville answered. Senior forward Miles Hettinger knocked down a deep three to tie the game at 10, then followed it up with a steal and two free throws. The Badgers answered with a corner three from freshman guard Hayden Jones. But, Platteville countered that Badgers three with one of their own when Ben Forbes hit a trailing three.
As the eight-minute mark of the first half approached, the Badgers were down 17-16, unable to capitalize on their free throws and struggling to find any rhythm.
Wisconsin was rotating through its big lineup, as freshman center Will Garlock saw early minutes and even got himself a nice bucket in the paint. With Garlock at center, Nolan Winter was able to move up to the forward spot and take advantage of his clear height advantage.
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Wisconsin ended the half on a high note, going on a 16-6 run. The Badgers got back to their roots during the run, attacking inside and creating open shots on the perimeter off of hard drives to the rim. Nolan Winter and Braeden Carrington were both able to get second-chance points off long three-point misses. John Blackwell and Winter were also able to knock down a three each, giving the Badgers a more well-rounded offensive attack. Following his hot start, Austin Rapp slowed down, taking a more passive role offensively and getting the ball to the open man.
The Badgers, while up nine at the half, did struggle early in the game. The offense was not in rhythm, and the flow was iffy at best. The offense’s stagnant playstyle proved costly in trying to create buckets on consecutive possessions, and it looked difficult for them to get to the rim and score. Winter and Carrington both did a good job early, taking advantage of their respective matchups.
Winter led the team with nine points and eight rebounds, while Max Love and Miles Hettinger led the way for the Pioneers with 5 points apiece in the first half. The Badgers went into halftime with a 31-22 lead, but were looking to really come out of the gates firing in the second half and put away the Pioneers.
Second Half
The Badgers came out in the second half ready to compete. Wisconsin was quickly able to build off its momentum from the first half and got off to a quick 5-0 run. Within the first four minutes, the Badgers increased their lead to 14, going up 43-29. Nolan Winter had four early points, and transfer point guard Nick Boyd was able to get to the rim for an and-1.
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However, the Pioneers wouldn’t back down and went on a little run of their own. Platteville cut the lead from 14 to two, with leading scorer Bristol Lewis hitting two huge threes in the stretch, as well as a nice floater after splitting the defense. Two costly turnovers from the Badgers also led to easy layups on the other end, and the once 14-point lead was down to four. The Badgers and Pioneers continued to exchange buckets before another turnover from the Badgers gave way to yet another easy layup.
With the lead now only 47-45, the Badgers needed some life, and they certainly got it. Wisconsin went on a 14-0 run, with Blackwell and Boyd scoring four and six points, respectively. Nolan Winter threw down a dunk as well, as the Badgers were back on top with a comfortable 61-45 lead and only four minutes left in the game.
The Badgers slowed down the pace and went back to what they do best: attack. The Badgers were getting to their spots at the rim and taking advantage of the smaller Platteville team.
After starting an abysmal 3-of-13 from the line, the Badgers were able to not only get to the free-throw line but convert. During the 14-0 run, the Badgers went 6-of-6 from the free throw line, with Blackwell, Boyd, and Rapp all getting to the stripe.
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The Badgers’ defense and offense also tightened up, getting their hands in the passing lanes and limiting driving opportunities for the Pioneers. The tough defense proved very helpful as Platteville was only able to put up eight points in the last nine minutes of the game. The Badgers finished the game with a 69-53 win and a 22-8 run in the final nine minutes.
Similar to last year, this year’s Badgers team looks once again to be a team that thrives on runs, capitalizing on catching defenses off guard with fresh legs and gaining momentum. This year’s Badgers will also look to get the ball moving more instead of relying on 1-on-1 play, which will prove helpful as they prepare for conference play.
Nolan Winter recorded his first double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and 15 rebounds, 4 of them being offensive boards. Austin Rapp and SDSU transfer Nick Boyd were also in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
It was good to get in the win column, but there’s much to work on for the Badgers, who will kick off the season officially on Monday against Campbell. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. on Big Ten Plus at the Kohl Center.
