Quick Hits: Nick Boyd's career night leads No.24 Wisconsin Badgers to a 97-72 win over Northern Illinois

MADISON, Wis. - Nick Boyd plays fast, sometimes too fast for his own good. That wasn't a problem on Friday, as the senior's tempo was just the right amount to make things immensely challenging for Northern Illinois.

No.24 Wisconsin saw its point guard be impactful on both ends of the court with his speed and his instincts, leading to a career-high 25 points and a 97-72 victory over the Huskies at the Kohl Center.

Juniors John Blackwell (15) and Nolan Winter (12) also reached double figures for the Badgers, which moved to 2-0 for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

A night to remember for Nick@NicholaswBoyd x #OnWisconsin pic.twitter.com/e8asMFKKBD
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 8, 2025

The Badgers scored points on each of their first nine possessions, a 5-minute, 27-second stretch that saw them go on a 20-5 run by converting at the rim, the perimeter, and the free throw line.

Boyd had seven points on the run and had his hands in the mix from the start. He found Andrew Rohde open for three on the game's opening possession and registered a steal that turned into a fast-break layup on UW's first defensive possession.

Even with making only one field goal the final eight minutes of the first half, the Badgers averaged 1.529 points per possession and led by 19 at the break.

JJ Taylor had 17 points to lead the Huskies (1-1), which fell to 0-10 all-time in Madison and never could tap into the hot shooting it had in their opener. Scoring 102 points after shooting 65.5 percent in the second half against Louisiana-Monroe, NIU averaged just .986 points per possession.

What it means: Friday was a step forward defensively for Wisconsin against a NIU team that seemingly scored at will in its season opener. Good defense usually sparks the offense, and Boyd made sure the Badgers came out firing from the game's opening possessions.

Star of the game: Boyd set the tone early with his work on both ends of the floor, building a lead that extended to as many as 24 points in the opening half.

Stat of the game: Although the Badgers weren't making field goals over the final eight minutes of the first half, they were connecting from the free throw line. UW went 11-for-14 to keep its lead, making more free throws in the final eight minutes than NIU attempted in the first half.

Reason to be Concerned: The fourth man in Wisconsin's frontcourt rotation, freshman Will Garlock had trouble staying on the court. He picked up his fourth foul fouling a three-point shooter with 15:16. To his credit, he checked in for the final seven-plus minutes and played better with three points and an offensive rebound.

Don’t overlook: With starter Austin Rapp sitting the final 10:51 of the first half with foul trouble, forward Aleksas Bieliauskas got extended minutes and took advantage. The freshman scored eight points and secured two rebounds in 10 first-half minutes.

What’s next: Wisconsin continues its four-game homestand when it hosts Ball State at the Kohl Center Monday night. Picked to finish eighth in the MAC (five spots ahead of Northern Illinois), the Cardinals (2-0) have notched wins over teams from the Sun Belt and division 2 to start the season, with sophomore guard Davion Hill averaging 16.0 ppg.

Wisconsin leads the series with Ball State, 6-2, in a series that dates back to 1936. The two schools have not played since 1999.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with the game being televised on the Big Ten Network.

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