By Joey Bonadonna (@JoeyBonadonna)

The Wisconsin Badgers moved to 5-0 with a last-second win over the UTRGV Vaqueros, behind 30 points from sophomore guard John Blackwell. This is the first time the Badgers have started 5-0 since 2018-19. 

Wisconsin trailed for much of the game and only led for 7:00 of game time. The Vaqueros rode hot shooting nights from Hasan Abdul Hakim (19 points, 7-14 FG), K.T. Raimey (13 points, 3-6 3PT, 4-4 FT) and Howie Fleming (10 points, 4-6 FG, 2-3 3PT).

UTRGV came into the game battle-tested with previous matchups with Nebraska and Creighton. Both games were tight down the stretch despite falling by double digits at the final buzzer.

“It's what you fear when you watch them on tape,” Greg Gard said. “They had done a lot of the same things to Nebraska and Creighton. They got some confidence early.”

After his outstanding 41-point performance on Friday against Arizona, John Tonje supplemented the Badgers with 19 points. He shot 3-5 from the field, all from behind the arc, as well as 10-10 from the free throw line. Tonje now sits 47-49 (96 percent) from the charity stripe in his first five games for Wisconsin.

The Vaqueros had a shot to win it at the end, but Abdul Hakim's fadeaway in the lane fell short with tight defense from Kamari McGee. Blackwell hauled in the rebound and finished the game with two free throws to claim victory.

3 Takeaways:

John Blackwell had his breakout game.

After the Badgers previously got a 26-point outing from Max Klesmit and 41 points from Tonje against Arizona, it was John Blackwell's time to shine against UTRGV. Blackwell's 30 points were the difference, with 20 of them coming in the second half. 

This is the first time since at least the 2005-06 season that the Badgers received a 30+ point scoring performance in back-to-back games.

However, the difference was Blackwell got many of his points at the rim in a slasher role, shooting 11-18 from the field and 9-13 from inside the arc. He looked confident in his mid-range game and showed the ability to score from all three levels.

“He doesn't get rattled,” Gard said. “He has a DNA of making winning plays.”

In a season where Blackwell has expectations of having a breakout season, this was the performance Badger fans wanted to see.

Steven Crowl and Nolan Winter were rotated out early.

With UTRGV's ability to stretch the floor, the two-big lineup of Crowl and Winter quickly dissipated.

“We've had to do that in the past,” Gard said. “You get a feel for the game and we got better with Tonje at the four and Gilmore at the five.”

They were the only two Badgers who finished with a negative plus/minus differential with Crowl at -8 and Winter at -6.

“I think it started with the perimeter. I didn't feel they did a great job of helping their big buddies out,” Gard said of the 3-point defense. “We got back cut, we got rejected on a ball screen. We didn't put enough ball pressure on.”

This could be something to monitor if Wisconsin runs into another smaller shooting team down the line.

Carter Gilmore continues to make the plays when needed most.

The rise of Carter Gilmore has been a welcome sign for Badgers fans this season and opposing coaches are beginning to take notice.

“Gilmore's a good player. He's a really good defender,” UTRGV head coach Kahil Fennell said. “When they bring him in the game, they can switch a little more and be more aggressive on the ball screen. He gave us a really hard time.”

With Crowl and Winter out, Gilmore was asked to play the five spot for 20 minutes. He continues to be an anchor defensively when he's on the floor.

“[His] experience in those situations puts him in a position where he's a valuable asset,” Gard said.

What's Next?

Wisconsin heads to West Virginia to play in the Greenbrier Invitational, starting off with the UCF Knights on Friday night.

The Knights are off to a 3-0 start to their season with an opening night win over a ranked Texas A&M squad, followed by strong victories over Purdue Fort Wayne and Florida Atlantic.

The Badgers will conclude their Greenbrier trip with a matchup with either LSU or Pitt, before returning home to face Chicago State on November 30th.