MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Tonje scored 27 points as the 18th-ranked University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team never trailed enroute to an 83-55 win over Nebraska on Sunday.
The Badgers (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten) bounced back from an 85-83 loss at UCLA that snapped a seven-game winning streak.
Wisconsin grabbed a 19-2 lead less than five minutes into the game going 7 of 8 from the floor and 5 of 6 from deep.
The Badgers then went scoreless for 6 minutes, while Nebraska ran off a 19-5 run. The teams flipped roles again, however, as Wisconsin answered with a 16-2 run and never looked back.
Tonje was 5-for-11 from beyond the arc, while John Blackwell scored 14 points, going 5 of 7 from deep.
Brice Williams had 11 points to lead Nebraska (12-8, 2-7), which has now lost six straight. Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian scored eight points while facing his former team for the first time.
Takeaways
Wisconsin: The Badgers are in the midst of an eight-game stretch in which they play at home only twice, so they need to make the most of these rare Kohl Center appearances. They did just that Sunday.
Nebraska: In four of its losses during this skid, Nebraska was within one possession in the final 10 seconds of regulation time. But this game wasn’t competitive, even as the slumping Cornhuskers shuffled their lineup by giving Sam Hoiberg and Andrew Morgan their first starts of the season.
Key moment
Wisconsin led 25-21 when Jack Janicki converted a steal into a dunk on the other end with less than five minutes left in the first half. Janicki’s big play sparked a 16-2 spurt that gave Wisconsin a 17-point advantage.
Key stats
Wisconsin shot 17 of 37 from 3-point range to match its third-highest, single-game total for 3-pointers in school history.
Up next
Wisconsin visits Maryland on Wednesday. Nebraska is at No. 17 Illinois on Thursday.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – Wisconsin guard John Tonje (9) looks to shoot a 3-point basket against Texas Rio Grande Valley during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)