Indianapolis, IN- Wisconsin came out scorching from beyond the arc, lighting up the scoreboard early in their Big Ten Tournament matchup against UCLA. Fresh off a second-round win over Northwestern, the Badgers wasted no time asserting dominance against a Bruins squad making its tournament debut after securing a double bye.
Senior John Tonje set the tone, drilling his first four shots—including back-to-back treys, one of which turned into a four-point play after drawing a foul on UCLA’s Sebastian Mack. Wisconsin’s deep shooting barrage quickly put UCLA in a hole, with six different Badgers knocking down a three-pointer in the first half. Tonje led the charge with 13 first-half points on a perfect 4-for-4 from deep, while fellow senior Steven Crowl added 10.
By the midway point of the first half, Wisconsin had built a 28-18 lead, fueled by lights-out shooting and relentless execution. While UCLA’s bench provided some early contributions, the Bruins struggled mightily from the field, connecting on just one of their last 10 attempts leading up to the six-minute mark. By halftime, Wisconsin had drained more three-pointers (12) than UCLA had total field goals, finishing the half shooting an astounding 60% (16-26) from the floor and 12-of-19 from deep.
UCLA, on the other hand, shot a dismal 11-for-34 (32%) in their tournament opener. Sophomore guard Sebastian Mack did his best to keep the Bruins afloat with 12 first-half points, but he lacked support, as Aday Mara, Skyy Clark, and Dylan Andrews managed just four points apiece. The Bruins, who edged Wisconsin 85-83 in their previous meeting behind a 22-point outing from Mara, found themselves in unfamiliar territory, trailing 48-29 at the break.
The game was far from over, but if UCLA hoped to mount a comeback, they would need serious adjustments—and a spark from their supporting cast—to avoid an early exit and follow in the footsteps of their women’s team, who recently captured a championship.
Despite a stronger second half, UCLA couldn’t recover from Wisconsin’s first-half shooting barrage. The Bruins outscored the Badgers 41-38 after halftime, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit.
“Obviously, the 3s are going to get a lot of attention, and this group has the potential to do that,” Gard said. “But the job we did defensively, I felt, was just as important, if not more important. Our perimeter did a really good job pressuring the ball, and our bigs helped keep UCLA out of rhythm.”
The Badgers’ suffocating defense complemented their lights-out shooting, ensuring they never lost control. With the win, Wisconsin advances to the Big Ten semifinals, where they’ll face Michigan State.
“Proud of our group. Looking forward to playing tomorrow,” Gard added.
Senior John Tonje was unstoppable from deep, drilling six three-pointers without a miss, including a clutch shot with under eight minutes remaining. UCLA showed brief signs of life with a 6-0 run, ignited by William Kyle’s alley-oop from Aday Mara, but Wisconsin’s momentum never wavered.
UCLA’s season ends in disappointment, while Wisconsin marches on, eyeing a spot in the Big Ten championship game.
