Recap: Cold-Shooting Wisconsin Badgers are no match for BYU in 98-70 blowout

The rematch wasn't much of one.

No.23 Wisconsin started cold and never could sustain a consistent rhythm in its first true test of the season, falling 98-70 to No.9 BYU in front of a partisan neutral-site crowd at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.

Senior Richie Saunders torched the Badgers for a second consecutive meeting with a game-high 26 points, guard Robert Wright had a double-double with 10 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, while freshman AJ Dybantsa went 11-for-12 from the line on his 18-point, 6-rebound, 3-assist afternoon.

That court was weird, right? pic.twitter.com/mks4iCbJhp
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) November 21, 2025

Senior guard Nick Boyd led Wisconsin (4-1) with 16 points and Nolan Winter had a double-double (14 pts, 14 rebounds), but foul trouble plagued both players and shooting woes doomed the rest.

Averaging 93.3 points per game and ranked ninth nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency through four games, the Badgers shot 37.7 percent and averaged a putrid .972 points per possession, a product of going 7-for-29 from three-point range.

One of the keys of BYU's 91-89 NCAA Tournament victory over Wisconsin in Denver last March was getting off to a fast start, starting the game on a 16-8 run and never trailing. The game had more of a familiar tune with BYU starting out hot offensively and the Badgers struggling to find their footing.

Never looking in sync, with perimeter shots coming up short and no production around the rim, Wisconsin shot 22.7 percent from the field and averaged .682 points per possession through the first 12 minutes and 22 possessions.

The number of misses and long rebounds allowed BYU to push in transition and score in bunches. The Cougars had runs of 13-0, 7-0, and 7-0 and led by as many as 16 points in the opening half.

The Badgers had an opening to make a run after Blackwell drew an offensive foul on Dybantsa, sending him to the bench with three fouls at the 17:50 mark. UW chipped the deficit to 54-47 with 14:22 remaining but struggled to generate consistent production, partially because Boyd also had to sit with his own foul trouble.

After Winter tipped in his own offensive rebound to make the score 56-49 with 13:22 remaining, BYU executed a 9-0 run and scored 19 of the game's next 23 points to end any hope of a comeback.

Senior guard Braeden Carrington and junior guard John Blackwell each added 14, although Carrington was 4-for-5 from three off the UW bench and Blackwell was 3-for-13 from the floor.

What it means: Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard talked all week about how he was looking forward to this test to get a better gauge of his team. The Badgers played OK but nowhere near the level they need to be at to compete with one of the best teams in the country.

Star of the game: Saunders led BYU with 25 points in the NCAA Tournament win and was just as good Friday. He was 5-for-7 from two, 5-for-9 from three, two assists, two steals, and only one turnover.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin's starting lineup shot 17-for-50 (34.0 percent) while the Cougars starters went 22-for-44 (50.0 percent).

Reason to be Concerned: The Wisconsin coaching staff has worked with sophomore Austin Rapp to develop more of an inside gap. Friday was not a banner day for him, as he went 0-for-7 from the floor, 0-for-5 from three, and managed only two free throws. More telling was the 6-10 Rapp didn't get a rebound in 27 minutes.

Don’t overlook: Boyd looked like he had solid defensive positioning on Dybantsa, who lowered his shoulder into the senior and got the foul call. It was the second foul on Boyd and Gard was agitated with the offical who made the call. Boyd sat for nearly six minutes, during which time the lead jumped from nine to 16.

What’s next: Wisconsin will stay on the West Coast and travel to San Diego, Calif., on Saturday to start preparation for Providence in the Rady Children's Invitational on Thanksgiving afternoon. Guard Jason Edwards leads the Friars in scoring (20.4 ppg), assists (4.6), and field goal percentage (48.5) through five games. Providence (3-2) is winless against power-conference opponents, losing by six to Virginia Tech and by nine at Colorado.

The Badgers won the first meeting between the two schools in 1961, but the Friars have won the last five, including a 63-58 win in Madison in 2021 and two years later in Providence, 72-59. The tip is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. and be televised on FS1.

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