John Blackwell scored a game-high 28 points to lead No. 24 Wisconsin to an 84-69 win over USC in Los Angeles on Saturday in a Big Ten contest.
Max Klesmit scored 18 points and Nolan Winter added 13 points for Wisconsin (15-3, 5-2), which has won seven straight following a three-game skid.
The Badgers were only 8 of 29 from 3-point range (32.1 percent) but went 22 of 27 (81.4 percent) on 2-pointers and 13 of 15 from the free-throw line.
Saint Thomas scored 19 points, Rashaun Agee chipped in 15 and Wesley Yates added 11 for USC (11-6, 3-4), which had won two straight.
The Trojans turned the ball over 16 times, shot 49.1 percent from the field overall (26 of 53) and 40 percent (6 of 15) from 3-point range.
Wisconsin held a 19-point lead in the second half, but USC whittled its deficit to three at 55-52 with 10:44 remaining following a three-point play by Desmond Claude.
The Badgers answered, going on an 8-2 run to take a 63-54 lead with 8:14 left. Wisconsin continued to rebuild its big lead, going up 70-57 following a 3-pointer by Kamari McGee and a basket by Blackwell with 6:13 remaining.
A Klesmit 3-pointer gave Wisconsin a 76-60 lead with 4:04 to go. USC couldn’t bring its deficit back to single digits the rest of the game.
Trailing 51-32 with 17:54 remaining, USC got back in it with a 13-0 run to cut Wisconsin’s lead to 51-45 with 14:51 left. Thomas led the Trjoans with eight points during that stretch.
Wisconsin gained some separation in the first half, going on a 13-2 run to grab a 25-10 lead with 9:14 remaining.
The Badgers led by as many as 17 in the first half at 42-25 with 26 seconds left until halftime.
–Field Level Media
Stephen Curry scored 37 points and Brandin Podziemski added 28 with a career-high eight 3-pointers as visiting the Golden State Warriors gained a game on the Los Angeles Lakers in…
Stephen Curry scored 37 points and Brandin Podziemski added 28 with a career-high eight 3-pointers as the visiting Golden State Warriors continued their late-season surge with a 123-116 victory over…
Eric Dixon scored 24 of his 28 points in the second half, including the go-ahead free throw with 18 seconds remaining, and Villanova outlasted Southern California 60-59 in the quarterfinal…
Stephen Curry’s 37 points propel Warriors past Lakers
Eric Dixon helps Villanova edge USC
Chattanooga claims NIT title with OT win over UC Irvine
Anthony Edwards shakes off injury, pulls Wolves past Nets