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Newly ranked Wisconsin falls flat in 86-69 defeat at Ohio State

No.24 Wisconsin Badgers couldn't overcome early deficit in a disjointed performance at Ohio State
Benjamin Worgull|
Feb 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Andrew Rohde (7) controls the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Puff Johnson (6) defends during the first half at Value City Arena.
Feb 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Wisconsin Badgers guard Andrew Rohde (7) controls the ball as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Puff Johnson (6) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

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Wisconsin Badgers

The University of Wisconsin is no longer sneaking up on people, winning nine of its last 11 with three victories over AP Top-10 opponents. It's an underdog mindset that served the Badgers well, but an attack mode that Ohio State tapped into on Tuesday night.

Ranked for the first time since November, No.24 Wisconsin was flat, sloppy, and defensive challenged in an 86-69 defeat to Ohio State at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.

Senior Braeden Carrington scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half for the Badgers (18-8, 10-5 Big Ten), which put four players in double figures but saw its surge up the Big Ten standings and national rankings get halted in a performance that didn't yield much fight.

Held under 70 points for just the fifth time this season and trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half, the 19-point margin of defeat was Wisconsin's worst since December 10 at Nebraska.

Fresh off being named conference player of the week for a second time, Nick Boyd finished with 14 points on 6-for-15 shooting, seeing his string of consecutive 20-point games end.

The loss coupled with Michigan State's rout over UCLA drops Wisconsin into sixth place in the league with five games remaining. The top four seeds get a bye into the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals next month.

Bruce Thornton (27 points) and Devin Royal (season-high 25) were the catalyst for Ohio State (17-9, 9-6), which beat a KenPom top-40 team for the first time this season.

It was a game the Buckeyes needed to have for their lackluster NCAA Tournament resume, and they played like it from the start.

The Buckeyes hit 10 of their first 13 shots from the field, with Royal started a perfect 6-for-6 from the field. Royal's 14 points had outscored UW by the 12:49 mark, giving Ohio State an early double-digit lead.

It was similar to the first meeting in Madison, when the Badgers erased an early 11-point deficit in a 92-82 win, one of five victories Wisconsin has had in 2026 where its come back from at least 10 down.

UW had no such luck in the rematch, as the Badgers trailed by at least 10 points for the final 23 minutes of the game. Even when UW started the second half shooting over 73 percent through the first 13 minutes, Ohio State had outscored Wisconsin by two with its ability to nearly match the visitors shot for shot.

What it means: Even without second-leading scorer John Mobley Jr., Ohio State played and executed like a team that was playing for its NCAA Tournament livelihood. It was an energy that the Badgers failed to match.

Star of the game: Wisconsin is likely hoping it won't have to see Thornton again. After scoring 18 points in the first meeting, Thornton flirted with a triple-double before settling with nine rebounds and eight assists. Ohio State outscored Wisconsin by 24 when Thornton was on the floor.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin was outshot from two, three, and the free throw line. UW's eight free throw misses were its most since missing 12 against Milwaukee on December 30.

Reason to be Concerned: Austin Rapp missed yet another game this season with an illness, which caused UW to be without a perimeter big who can create matchup problems and someone who was growing on the rebounding and defensive end. Without him, UW was outrebounded 35-27.

Don’t overlook: Rapp's absence and an injury to Jack Janicki opened an opportunity for Hayden Jones to get extended minutes for the first time since his start against Central Michigan on December 22. Jones finished with six points, four rebounds, and an assist in 16 minutes.

What’s next: Wisconsin has a short break before its penultimate home game of the season against Iowa on Sunday. Having already surpasses last year's win total, the Hawkeyes (18-7, 8-6) have been a mild surprise under first year head coach Ben McCollum. Iowa is 17th nationally in field goal percentage and leads the conference in scoring defense (64.9).

The Hawkeyes rely heavily on senior guard Bennett Stirtz, who followed McCollum from Drake and has scored 30+ points three times in the last five games and 20+ points in seven of the last eight games (14 times this season).

The tip from the Kohl Center is at 3 p.m. and will be televised on FS1.

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Benjamin Worgull
BENJAMIN WORGULL

Benjamin Worgull has covered Wisconsin men's basketball since 2004, having previously written for Rivals, USA Today, 247sports, Fox Sports, the Associated Press, the Janesville Gazette, and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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