Overtime: Wisconsin Bounces Back in a Big Way to Rout Providence

SAN DIEGO — Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard was interested to see how his team responded following a disappointing showing against BYU last Friday. Thursday’s semifinal matchup against Providence (3-3) at the Rady Children’s Invitational couldn’t have gone much better. Racing past the Friars en route to a 104-83 victory, the Badgers (5-1) advanced to Friday’s championship bout against TCU.

“I think the response that we had, just how we practiced after Friday — I thought we practiced much better,” UW head coach Greg Gard said following Thursday’s win. “Not that we practiced bad, but I like how we responded Friday night. We got right back on the floor, and those guys took ownership; they took coaching. They practiced hard and were very intentional about what we were trying to do.

“And, it’s good to see that result.”

Wisconsin Handled Providence’s Pace

Providence entered Thursday ranked No. 24 in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency. The Friars scored 88 or more points in four of five games this season. Coming off a miserable defensive performance against BYU, Wisconsin needed to lock in.

Job well done.

Don’t let the 83 points fool you. This game was over at halftime. The Providence didn’t have 50 points until the 11:155 mark of the second half and averaged .856 points per possession. The Friars also started 14-of-39 (35.8%) from the field. One of the best teams in the country at generating easy 2’s, Providence managed just 32 points in the paint.

Wisconsin’s bigs did a great job of challenging shots as the Friars went just 10-of-20 on layups. The Badgers also generated 10 steals, one shy of their season high. Turning defense into offense, UW racked up 18 points off turnovers, again, one shy of the season-best.

“We were on the floor for loose balls. We turned turnovers into transition points,” said Gard. “I thought our effort and aggressiveness defensively was there.”

The Badgers Threw a Haymaker Late in the First Half and Didn’t Look Back

That last five minutes of the first half was about as good as it gets.

Ending the first half on a 20-6 run, Wisconsin was 7-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. The spurt was capped off by a buzzer-beater from sophomore forward Austin Rapp, who scored the last nine during the run.

Defensively, the Badgers were just as impressive. In the last four minutes, UW had two steals and held Providence to six consecutive misses and eight of nine overall at one point.

“We were moving the ball, you can see, when guys get downhill, they have to collaps,e or else it’s a layup,” Rapp stated. “We’ve got really good shooters on our team . When we make shots, we’re going to be a really good team.”

Nick Boyd Went Off

If Nick Boyd plays like this, Wisconsin is going to be very tough to beat. With junior guard John Blackwell not having his best stuff, Boyd ran the show en route to a career-high 36 points (15-25), seven assists, and seven rebounds. Responding to some early jawing from Providence, Boyd put his foot on the gas pedal and took over the game in transition and from the 3-point line.

Like Rapp, Boyd also scored nine consecutive points during UW’s big run at the end of the first half. He then put the icing on the cake in the second half with 10 of the Badgers’ 11 points during a stretch in the final minutes.

A San Diego State transfer, Boyd was back near his old stomping grounds to put on a show.

“It was awesome,” he said. “I have a lot of friends and family here…I feel right at home.”

Game Ball

Rapp had a rough game against BYU. Not only was the sophomore forward 0-of-7 from the field, but Rapp didn’t grab a single rebound in 27 minutes.

Rapp came into San Diego with a different mentality. In the first eight minutes alone, Rapp had five rebounds, including two offensive, and a block. Rapp’s defense and hustle sparked his offense. The Portland transfer had his best game as a Badger, posting 20 points (7-15), eight rebounds, and three blocks.

Rapp had a ridiculous run to close the first half, knocking down three triples, which all but put Providence away early as Wisconsin went into the locker room leading 51-32.

“I asked him in the pre-game to physically get engaged,” said Gard. “You’re always happy when ‘A,’ they respond, but also get a result.”

Big Picture

Wisconsin will now play for its fourth holiday tournament title in five years. Up next? TCU, who pulled a somewhat stunning upset over defending national champion Florida in the first game of the day.

“The only thing I know about TCU, other than watching them for a little bit is Brock Harding was at Iowa, and he’s the point guard,” Gard stated. “I’m gonna learn a lot in the next 20 hours.”

Beyond the Box Score

1.3: Wisconsin averaged 1.3 points per possession.

7: UW had seven more offensive rebounds (14-7) than Providence.

9: Boyd scored nine of 10 points for UW at one point in the second half.

9: Rapp scored the last nine points for the Badgers in the first half, all on 3-pointers.

10: UW had 10 more field goal attempts (77-67) than the Friars.

12: The Badgers scored 12 unanswered points in the first half.

20: UW ended the first half on a 20-6 run.

23: Nolan Winter posted a +/- of 23.

28: UW led by as many as 28.

40: The Badgers attempted 40 3-pointers, which tied a single-game program record.

104: The team’s 104 points are the most in a non-conference game since a 105-70 win over Eastern Illinois on Dec. 28, 1995. It also matches the most points the Badgers have ever scored against a major conference team in a non-conference game since UW beat Georgia Tech, 104-84 on Dec. 28, 1963.