Recap: Wisconsin Badgers bounce back with 104-83 win over Providence in Rady Children's Invitational

Nick Boyd wasn't willing to have himself or his teammates called out for a lack of effort for a second consecutive game.

The University of Wisconsin's senior point guard and on-court general led by example Thursday, as his quick defensive hands and aggressive offense led the Badgers to a 104-83 victory over Providence in the Rady Children's Invitational semifinals at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego.

Boyd finished with a career-high 36 points, eight coming on driving fast-break layups during a 12-2 first-half run that turned a one-possession game into a 13-point advantage that kept growing as Wisconsin kept the pedal down.

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Sophomore Austin Rapp had his own bounce-back game by scoring 20 points and eight rebounds for the Badgers (5-1), including hitting three pointers on three of the final four possessions to build a 19-point halftime lead.

It was an emphatic rebound from Wisconsin's 28-point loss to No.9 BYU on Friday and sets up an intriguing tournament final against TCU (4:30 p.m./FOX). The Horned Frogs knocked off No.10 Florida, 84-80, in the early semifinal.

Nolan Winter added 19 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season, John Blackwell added 11 and Jack Janicki was 3-for-3 on three-pointers off the bench on a night UW shot 57.4 percent from the floor and averaged 1.3 points per possession.

It was a welcome result after a long five-day wait on the West Coast. The Badgers were back in the gym following Friday's loss to the Cougars, practicing in Utah Saturday, flying to San Diego Sunday, and practicing around the city the previous three days. The main goal was fixing the exposed issues, mainly how the Badgers didn't attack the rim to put pressure on BYU's defense at the rim and how UW was always appeared a step slow defensively.

Providence (4-3) plays a significantly faster adjusted tempo than BYU, ranking 24th nationally by KenPom and 110 spots higher than the Cougars, but the Badgers limited the Friars' pace by owning the glass and forcing steals.

Wisconsin had six offensive rebounds in the first eight-plus minutes of game time, leading to a 43-35 edge on the glass and being plus-eight on offensive rebounds. The Badgers had 10 steals and forced 14 turnovers that led to 18 points, all which held Providence to 1.06 points per possession.

Jason Edwards had 20 points for the Friars, which saw its five-game winning streak against the Badgers end.

What it means: Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard challenged his team's toughness and response over the last five days, and the Badgers loudly responded with one of their better efforts of the season, especially against a Providence team that had humbled Gard's Badgers twice in recent history.

Star of the game: Boyd's play set the tone for Wisconsin on both ends of the court, as the senior dictated both ends of the floor with his high-level of play. He delivered with his individual scoring, but also had seven assists to no turnovers in 32 minutes.

Stat of the game: Wisconsin had a 19-1 edge in fast-break points in the first half, easily surpassing its 13.0 ppg average, and finished with a season-high 32.

Reason to be Concerned: Nit picking, but the Badgers were 16-for-24 (66.7 percent) from the foul line.

Don’t overlook: Rapp made no baskets and had no rebounds in Friday's loss to BYU, so a sequence in the first half was huge for him. He dove on the floor for an offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Andrew Rohde on the perimeter. He properly positioned himself and collected Rohde's missed and converted at the rim for second-chance points to push UW's lead to 19-13.

What’s next: Wisconsin will play for a holiday tournament championship for a third straight season when it faces TCU for the first time in school history. Led by former Iowa guard Brock Harding's 19 points and 12 assists, TCU shot 57.7 percent in the second half, went 15-for-17 from the free throw line, and scored 22 points off 19 Florida turnovers.

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