No.5 Purdue uses big second half to outlast Wisconsin Badgers, 89-73

MADISON, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin showed for long stretches that the Badgers can compete with one of the top teams in the Big Ten, something that wasn't the case three weeks ago.

The problem was the stretches were in the first half and didn't carry over after halftime.

A back-and-forth game was blown wide open early in the second half, as No.5 Purdue showed why it's on the short list of national title contenders with an 89-73 victory at the Kohl Center Saturday

Improving to 3-0 in conference play for the first time in six years, the Boilermakers (13-1, 3-0) had four starters in double figures by the 15:15 mark of the second half and all five starters with at least 10 points with 9:22 remaining.

Guard Fletcher Loyer led the assault with 20 points while guard Braden Smith notched a double-double (14 points, 12 assists) on a night where Purdue shot 46.5 percent.

Wisconsin (9-5, 1-2) scored on its first two possessions in the second half, cutting the lead to four, but then watched as Purdue broke the game open with a 27-7 run, a combination of bully ball in the low post and in rhythm three-point shots that snuffed the air from the building.

It didn't help that UW's offense went punchless. Following Nick Boyd's jumper, Wisconsin missed 11 of its next 12 shots, a stretch over nine minutes that included nine missed threes.

The game didn't start out that way.

Wisconsin's offense came out attacking the rim, forgoing its three-point attempts for high-percentage shots at the rim. A combination of guards John Blackwell and Boyd (game-high 22 points) attacking the rim and center Nolan Winter (18 pts, 10 rebounds) using his size, Wisconsin started 5-for-6 on layups and scored 24 points on its first 14 possessions.

It wasn't sustainable, not with the Badgers unable to hang on to the ball. Multiple unforced turnovers off passes and travels littered the final 22 possessions, as the Badgers averaged 0.63 points per possession over the closing stretch after being bogged down by seven turnovers.

Wisconsin made one final surge, going on 19-5 run to cut the lead to 11 with 3:22 to go, but Loyer's fourth three-pointer was the final nail.

What it means: Wisconsin finally looked like an NCAA Tournament team against an NCAA Tournament team, but the success was nowhere near sustainable. The Badgers looked better defensively than they had been against previous ranked teams, but UW got out of character again in the second half and it cost them a chance at its first Quad-1 win.

Star of the game: Braden Smith makes everything look so easy. He broke the Big Ten career assist record by driving down the right block and wrapping a pass around Winter, who came over to defend the rim and left center Oscar Cluff unguarded because Austin Rapp had to hedge toward the perimeter. It turned into a three-point play during Purdue's game-defining scoring stretch in the second half.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin built its 2025-26 roster on a team that could shoot the three, but the Badgers haven't done that against quality competition. The Badgers have shot under 30 percent from three in four of their five games against power-four conferences, including an ugly 4-for-25 against Purdue.

Reason to be Concerned: Blackwell hasn't looked the same offensively since being named Big Ten Player of the Week. In the four games he's played since, Blackwell is shooting 29.2 percent. He scored six quick points in the first three minutes and didn't score again until less than four minutes remained.

Don’t overlook: Wisconsin should have been leading at halftime, but the Badgers struggled with the fundamentals. UW had eight turnovers (many unforced) and only forced one. Purdue took advantage and had a 13-0 edge in points off turnovers at half, significant considering the Boilers trailed by seven.

What’s next: Wisconsin will close its four-game homestand on Tuesday when it hosts UCLA, the first meeting between the Bruins and Badgers in Madison since 1962. UCLA stubbed its toe in its first trip to the Midwest, losing 74-61 to Iowa, but the Bruins (10-4, 2-1) have a lot of talent with Tyler Bilodeau (19.2), Skyy Clark (14.2), Donovan Dent (12.6), and Eric Dailey Jr. (10.6) all averaging double figures.

UCLA and Wisconsin split its two meetings last year in the Bruins first season in the Big Ten, with the Bruins winning in Los Angeles and Wisconsin winning in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. and can be streamed on Peacock.

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