Recap: John Blackwell's 30-point afternoon helps Wisconsin Badgers cruise to a 96-76 win over Marquette

MADISON, Wis. - John Blackwell made sure the Badger State didn't have to change its nickname for the next 12 months.

Another stellar 30-point performance by the University of Wisconsin's junior guard coupled with one of the best defensive efforts of the season, the Badgers claimed basketball state bragging rights following a 96-76 victory over Marquette at the Kohl Center Saturday afternoon.

Blackwell scored 15 of Wisconsin's first 29 points, including 12 over a six-minute stretch where the Badgers (7-2) were 8-for-10 from the field and turned a three-point game into an 18-point advantage.

UW never trailed and was rarely threatened, especially with the balanced production from the starting lineup.

Red always rises pic.twitter.com/SvMxFxATrB
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 6, 2025

Brookfield, Wis., native Andrew Rohde scored a season-high 17 points, Nolan Winter registered his fifth double-double of the season (13 pts, 13 rebounds) while freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas notched his first collegiate one (11 pts, 10 rebounds). Nick Boyd added 15, as UW led by as many as 18 points in the first half and never led by less than 11 in the second half.

Freshman Adrien Stevens had 15 points to lead Marquette (5-5), which has lost four of six anad are without a victory over a team in the top 230 of the NCAA NET rankings. The struggle is partly due to Marquette choosing to go with inexperience over the transfer portal, which has caused lumps offensively. The Golden Eagles entered the game ranked 265th nationally in three-point percentage and 294th in field goal percentage.

Thanks in part to Wisconsin smothering the paint, Marquette started 1-for-13 from the floor and didn't make its first post bucket until nearly seven minutes had elapsed. UW held the Golden Eagles to 31.4 percent shooting in the first half and 42.4 percent for the game.

The only thing that appeared to slow Blackwell was foul trouble. He picked up his first two in the last 33 seconds of the first half and his third 25 second into the second half. UW managed without him, scoring 13 points on the next 11 possessions to increase its lead.

What it means: Saturday was just the ninth time since 1998 that neither team was ranked at the time of the matchup, and Marquette's struggles have been so rampant that the victory goes down as a Quad-4 win for UW. No matter. For a team that has struggled at points defensively, Wisconsin's effort in smothering the Golden Eagles should be a boost of confidence.

Star of the game: A game that Wisconsin felt in control of but hadn't separated from on the scoreboard, Blackwell took over on a three-possession sprint: hitting in-rhythm three-pointers and drawing contact at the rim after putting the ball on the court and driving. That push put the Badgers up 14 late in the first half and gave Blackwell (15) as many points as Marquette had.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin outshot Marquette in every area but the free throw line was the most drastic. UW went 24-for-29 from the line, while Marquette went 9-for-19.

Reason to be Concerned: It took Wisconsin nearly six minutes to attempt a shot in the paint, a stretch of game where the Badgers were 1-for-3 from the perimeter or turning the ball over.

Don’t overlook: Wisconsin was proficient on the boards, outrebounding Marquette, 46-33, improving to 6-0 when it outrebounds its opponent.

What’s next: Wisconsin plays its second and final December conference game - and its first true road game - when it travels to Lincoln to play Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena Wednesday night.

The Huskers (8-0) enter the weekend when their best start since opening the 1977-78 season with a 10-0 mark. Nebraska shoots volume threes like UW, as the Huskers averages 11.2 made 3-pointers per game to lead the Big Ten and rank 17th nationally as of Dec. 4 (UW is 2nd in the league, 22nd nationally at 11.0). Led by a starting frontcourt of Rienk Mast, Pryce Sandfort, and Braden Frager all averaging double figures, Nebraska's 84.8 ppg is the program's highest scoring average after eight games in 30 seasons.

Nebraska has won three of the last five against UW, including the last two in Lincoln. The tip off is schedule for 8 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network

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