The Wisconsin Badgers delivered a statement win on their home court Tuesday night, dispatching the UCLA Bruins 80-72 in a Big Ten showdown at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The victory not only evened both teams’ conference records at 2-2 but also offered a much-needed morale boost for the Badgers, who were coming off a tough loss to Purdue and seeking to reassert themselves in the NCAA Tournament conversation.
From the opening tip, Wisconsin looked determined to seize control. The Badgers raced out to a 16-4 lead, fueled by a barrage of three-pointers and stifling defense that left the Bruins searching for answers. Four Wisconsin players finished in double figures, underscoring the team’s balanced attack. Guard Nick Boyd led the way with 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists—a performance that marked his eighth 20-point game this season and showcased his growing influence in the Big Ten.
“The thing I liked about tonight is we showed some fight, some togetherness and some heart. It wasn’t perfect but when you have heart and you have fight, you have a chance… we were physically, emotionally, engaged and after it all night,” Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard said after the game, according to official team sources.
Joining Boyd in the scoring parade, junior Nolan Winter contributed 18 points and eight rebounds, including an impressive 8-for-9 showing from the free-throw line. John Blackwell chipped in with 17 points and four rebounds, while senior transfer Andrew Rohde added 12 points and six boards. Wisconsin’s ability to share the ball and keep the offense flowing was a major storyline, with Winter noting, "It’s really good to see us sharing the ball tonight, and having everyone’s shots go in boosts confidence going forward in the season. That’s what our offense is built on, moving the ball, getting pops and moving sides, that kind of stuff. Making that defense work. When shots go in, it makes it look even prettier."
The Badgers’ hot shooting was especially evident in the first half, where they sank eight of their sixteen three-point attempts. That long-range accuracy proved to be a stark contrast to the Bruins’ struggles from deep. UCLA failed to connect on a single three-pointer in the opening half, going 0-for-10, and ultimately finished the night a dismal 1-for-17 from beyond the arc. The three-point disparity echoed memories of last season’s Big Ten tournament clash between these two squads, where perimeter shooting again played a pivotal role.
UCLA, now 10-5 overall, entered the contest looking to bounce back from a double-digit loss to Iowa just days earlier. However, the Bruins found themselves in a deep hole early and trailed by as many as 20 points in the first half. By halftime, the deficit stood at 45-31. Despite trimming Wisconsin’s lead to single digits eight times in the second half, the Bruins could never quite close the gap. Each time UCLA threatened to make it a game, the Badgers responded with timely baskets—most notably a clutch three-pointer from Jack Janicki that helped stymie a 13-4 Bruin run late in the contest.
For UCLA, the night was defined by adversity and missed opportunities. Senior guard Skyy Clark, the team’s top three-point shooter and a defensive anchor, was sidelined with a hamstring injury suffered in the previous game. His absence was sorely felt, as coach Mick Cronin acknowledged: “Our offensive struggles to start the game put us in an insurmountable hole. Our offensive struggles were so bad that it had our heads messed up on the other end (of the court).”
Matters only worsened for the Bruins when sophomore guard Trent Perry, starting in Clark’s place, left the game in the first half after taking a hard fall and hitting his chin on the court. Perry returned after halftime sporting a large bandage, a visual metaphor for the patchwork lineup Cronin was forced to deploy. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Williams, another key defender, exited before halftime with a bout of stomach flu, further depleting UCLA’s rotation.
Despite the setbacks, several Bruins turned in gritty performances. Junior guard/forward Eric Dailey Jr. led UCLA with 18 points on 9-for-17 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds, though he struggled from deep (0-for-5). Senior forward Tyler Bilodeau added 16 points and nine rebounds but was limited by foul trouble, picking up his fourth with more than 13 minutes remaining. Perry, showing resilience, tallied 15 points, while Donovan Dent contributed 13 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
“We’ve got to dig deep within ourselves,” Perry reflected postgame. “Cronin has been telling us since day one what to do. Sometimes, it’s just not clicking for all of us as a collective unit. So we just got to take this as a learning lesson.”
UCLA’s defense, usually a hallmark under Cronin, struggled to contain Wisconsin’s balanced attack, especially during the Badgers’ game-defining runs. The Bruins opened the second half with a 6-0 spurt to cut the deficit to nine, but Wisconsin quickly answered and pushed the lead back to 15. While UCLA actually outshot Wisconsin from the field (28-for-61 compared to 25-for-55), the difference in three-point shooting and the Badgers’ timely free throws proved decisive.
Turnovers and rebounds were relatively even, with UCLA finishing just two turnovers worse than their hosts and grabbing three more boards. Yet, as Cronin lamented, those margins weren’t enough to overcome the early deficit and cold shooting from distance. “When you spot a team 20 points and then try to play the game, it’s very hard,” Dailey Jr. said. “You can’t do that on the road. You can’t do that anywhere in basketball. … I can score 20, 30 (points), and if we’re not playing defense, it really doesn’t matter.”
For the Badgers, the win represents a turning point as they prepare to face No. 2 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday, a matchup that could further define their season. Wisconsin’s record now stands at 10-5 overall, matching UCLA’s mark, and 2-2 in the Big Ten. The Bruins, meanwhile, will look to regroup as they return home to Pauley Pavilion to host Maryland on January 10, with tipoff set for 5:00 pm PT on FOX.
As the Big Ten schedule heats up, both teams know there’s little margin for error. For one night, though, the Kohl Center faithful reveled in a well-earned victory, while the Bruins were left searching for answers—and perhaps some much-needed shooting touch—before their next challenge awaits.