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Final stats, analysis: No. 12 Wisconsin hangs on for hard-fought road win

John Blackwell leads Badgers with double-double in victory over Minnesota
Dana Becker|
Wisconsin and John Tonje take on Minnesota Wednesday night in Big Ten action.
Wisconsin and John Tonje take on Minnesota Wednesday night in Big Ten action. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin BadgersMinnesota Golden Gophers

The 12th-ranked Wisconsin men are in need of some good vibes as the regular season winds down.

They will look to find them on the road Wednesday night against Big Ten Conference rival Minnesota. The game tips at 7:30 p.m. CT and airs live on BTN.

Coming off a tough loss to Michigan State this past weekend, the Badgers will be looking to get back on track against a struggling Golden Gopher squad.

Check out our live updates and in-game analysis of Wisconsin at Minnesota below:

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Final Stats, Analysis

It was tougher than most expected, but the Badgers got the win thanks to big performances from John Blackwell and John Tonje. Blackwell scored 25 with 11 rebounds, going 7 of 8 from the free throw line.

Tonje, meanwhile had 18 while grabbing seven rebounds and battling foul trouble, including a highlight-reel bucket late in the game. Steven Crowl added 10 points and Carter Gilmore came through with eight off the bench.

For Minnesota, Brennan Rigsby had 18 to lead four players in double figures. The Gophers struggled form the field, shooting just 35 percent from deep and missing seven free throws.

Live Second Half Updates

Final score: Wisconsin 74, Minnesota 67

Wisconsin 70, Minnesota 61, :49 left in second half: John Blackwell have a night. Blackwell follows up a missed 3-pointer with a basket, and the Badgers are in control here late once more.

Tonje magic! Coming right in off the bench, Tonje knocks down an acrobatic, one-handed up-and-under layup to give Wisconsin a six-point lead with 77 seconds to play. Minnesota missed four free throws in the last two minutes.

Bench to the rescue! Carter Gilmore with a jumper and Jack Janicki with a layup, giving the Badgers a 65-59 lead with just over two minutes to play.

Wisconsin 61, Minnesota 58, 3:37 left in second half: This one is going to come down to making free throws and handling the defensive pressure it feels like. John Tonje is on the bench coming out of the timeout with four fouls.

Wisconsin 61, Minnesota 56, 4:45 left in second half: We have a break in the action as the officials gather for a meeting around the replay table. The Badgers are finally getting something from the bench, as Jack Janicki and Carter Gilmore have scored the last six points.

Wisconsin 53, Minnesota 53, 7:42 left in second half: While the scoreboard reads a tie, it is definitely the Gophers who have all the momentum right now. Minnesota has erased a six-point halftime deficit despite 21 points from John Blackwell to lead Wisconsin.

Back to square one: With just over 11 minutes left, Minnesota has fought all the way back to tie the game up at 46-all. “The Barn” is definitely rocking right now and feeling the upset but just like that John Blackwell silences the Gophers with a 3-pointer, putting the Badgers up 49-46.

Wisconsin 46, Minnesota 41, 11:42 left in second half: The shots are just not falling for the Badgers, which has become the trend over the last handful of games. Thankfully, free throw shooting and rebounding are still there, as Wisconsin is 10-for-10 at the line and holds a plus-2 advantage on the glass. 

Wisconsin 40, Minnesota 33, 15:33 left in second half: The Badgers continue to keep the Gophers at a distance, but Minnesota is hanging around thanks to the play of Mitchell of the bench. He has scored the last four points of the game.

Halftime Stats, Analysis

The Badgers are lucky for the John’s, as Tonje and Blackwell have scored a combined 24 points with six rebounds to lead the way. Wisconsin looked good early but struggled through the middle portion of the half. 

Nobody off the bench has scored a point, as Nolan Winter and Kamari McGee have just two combined points. The loss of Max Klesmit remains an issue Wisconsin needs to overcome.

For Minnesota, Frank Mitchell has seven with two others each adding five. The Gophers have been out-rebounded 18-12 but have committed just six turnovers.

Live First Half Updates

Halftime score: Wisconsin 33, Minnesota 27

Wisconsin 27, Minnesota 21, 3:27 left in first half: The Gophers just will not go away, as Minnesota is trying to secure a landmark win. The Badgers will need to tighten up on the defensive end and start finding better looks on offense to put this one away in the second half.

Crowl delivers! Minnesota tied the game at 14-all when Steven Crowl stepped up and sank a  3-pointer off an assist by Kamari McGee. Maybe that will be the bucket that gets the Badgers going, as they lead 17-14 with just over eight to play.

Wisconsin 12, Minnesota 10, 11:51 left in first half: The Gophers have scratched back into this one, cutting the deficit down to two. Lucye Patterson has five points to lead Minnesota.

Wisconsin 10, Minnesota 3, 16:18 left in first half: After a slow start, the Badgers have found their groove, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers while going 4 of 6 from the field.

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Dana Becker
DANA BECKER

Dana Becker has been a sports writer in Iowa since 2000, writing for The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others. Dana resides in north-central Iowa.

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