No. 20 Wisconsin ended a three-game losing streak behind Nolan Winter’s career-high 20 points, defeating nonconference foe Butler 83-74 at the Indy Classic in Indianapolis on Saturday.
Steven Crowl Winter added 18 points and six rebounds and Max Klesmit scored 11 points for Wisconsin (9-3), which saw all five starters score in double figures.
The Badgers had a quieter shooting performance from beyond the arc, hitting six shots from deep after entering Saturday averaging 9.2 makes per game. It was a different game for Wisconsin inside the paint, thriving with 40 points.
Butler (7-4) went down nine from the jump, missing their first four shots from the floor, and outside of tying the game for 17 seconds early in the first half, never recovered. What made it difficult to rally was Wisconsin neutralizing Butler’s top scorer Jahmyl Telfort.
The guard entered Saturday averaging 17 points per game but didn’t hit his first basket until there was 14:05 left in the second half. Telfort missed six shots before hitting a layup to cut the Wisconsin lead to 53-48.
Wisconsin responded with a three from Crowl and two layups to push the lead to 12 with 11:26 left.
Telfort finished with eight points and five rebounds on 2-of-9 shooting. Leading Butler was Pierre Brooks II, who scored 23 points on 5-of-6 shooting inside the arc, adding two three-pointers.
Once the Badgers amassed a double-digit lead, the Big Ten side began playing Wisconsin basketball, draining the clock offensively to take away any Butler momentum and preserve their lead.
The Badgers also went 25 of 27 from the free-throw line, punishing the Bulldogs every time they fouled. In the process, the Badgers tied a program record by hitting their first 22 in a row.
–Field Level Media
