The No. 24 Wisconsin Badgers pulled away for a blowout 96-64 victory over the Campbell Fighting Camels to start the season with a bang. While the game was relatively close for the first 30 minutes, Wisconsin capped things off on a 31-4 run to seal the deal.
John Blackwell was the star of the show, scoring 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the field, while tying his career high with six three-pointers. Transfer guard Nick Boyd flashed his speed and aggression, pouring in 21 points—all either inside the arc or at the free throw line. Nolan Winter had another efficient performance, going for 17 points and 12 rebounds while shooting 8-of-12 from the field.
The Badgers shot an impressive 50.7 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from deep as a whole, showing multiple ways to get the ball in the basket. Defensively, Wisconsin had a slow start and some lapses throughout the game, but settled in during the second half, keeping Campbell under 30 percent from the field in the period and only 1-of-9 from three-point range.
Here’s our recap of Wisconsin’s 96-64 win on Monday night.
### 1st Half
Campbell got out to a quick start, as the Fighting Camels began 4-of-4 from the field and led 11-4 after the first four minutes. After the first media timeout, the Badgers started to settle in, with Braeden Carrington and Jack Janicki providing a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor.
Carrington attacked the rim for an early layup, which was followed by an Austin Rapp three-pointer to keep the score close at 13-11. However, Campbell guard D.J. Smith was on fire early, scoring seven points including a tough pull-up three off a screen, which kept the Fighting Camels ahead 16-11.
Then came the onslaught of John Blackwell and the Badgers’ offense. Wisconsin went on a 14-1 run to flip the script and take a 25-17 lead, with several players contributing on both sides of the ball. That helped Wisconsin control the first half all the way to halftime, although Campbell didn’t go away, keeping things within single digits at the break at 47-38.
Blackwell led the way with 17 first-half points, getting to the free throw line and having an efficient half to get Wisconsin’s offense going. Nick Boyd was also key, attacking the rim aggressively and scoring 11 points in the opening frame. Nolan Winter made an impact on the boards as well, grabbing four offensive rebounds and finishing with eight points in the period.
Campbell had an extremely efficient half, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and 40 percent from deep, which helped them overcome eight turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
### 2nd Half
Wisconsin started the second half with a 10-4 run to extend the lead to 57-42 early in the period. Boyd and Blackwell were instrumental during this stretch, with Boyd scoring a pair of layups attacking the rim, while Blackwell hit a big three in transition.
Campbell fought back with an 11-2 run to narrow the gap to six points at 59-53, keeping the game tight through the first six minutes of the half. Both teams battled from there, with the Badgers pulling ahead to a 65-55 lead before the Fighting Camels closed to within five at 65-60 with 10:35 remaining.
Then came the turning point in the game. Wisconsin went on a dominant 31-4 run to seal the deal with a major win. John Blackwell sparked the run with eight early points, hitting a pair of corner threes off assists from Nick Boyd to give Wisconsin a 78-62 lead.
From there, the Badgers’ offense and defense thrived, cruising en route to the 96-64 victory. The team showed consistency on both sides of the court down the stretch.
Blackwell finished the game with 31 points and six three-pointers, but he wasn’t the only contributor. Boyd ended with 21 points, consistently attacking the rim for layups and free throws. Winter was a force inside, finishing with 17 points and 12 rebounds on an efficient 8-of-12 from the field.
Wisconsin was very efficient in the second half, shooting over 51 percent from the field and more than 46 percent from three-point range, while hitting 11-of-13 free throws en route to another 48-point half.
Defensively, the Badgers were terrific, especially in the final eight minutes, holding Campbell to under 30 percent shooting from the field and only 1-of-9 on threes during the period.
### Final Thoughts
Overall, there are still areas for Wisconsin to improve, but it was a strong start to the season. The Badgers put up 96 points, won by 32, and showed they have plenty of weapons and potential as they look ahead. While they didn’t quite play at their fullest potential, the outlook is bright for this Wisconsin squad moving forward.
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