John Blackwell's Career-High 30 Points Help No. 19 Wisconsin Survive UTRGV

Blackwell's Offensive Explosion Leads Wisconsin to Victory

John Blackwell exploded for a career-high 30 points, leading the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers to a hard-fought 89-85 victory over the UTRGV Vaqueros on Tuesday night. Blackwell's offensive outburst, which included 5-of-12 shooting from three-point range, proved to be the difference in a game that was close throughout.

Wisconsin (9-2) never trailed in the game, but UTRGV (6-5) kept things interesting with a series of runs. The Vaqueros cut the lead to just two points with less than four minutes remaining, but Blackwell answered with a clutch three-pointer to give the Badgers some breathing room.

Balanced Scoring Effort from Wisconsin

In addition to Blackwell's big night, Wisconsin received solid contributions from several other players. Brad Davison added 17 points, while Connor Essegian and Chucky Hepburn each chipped in 12 points. Tyler Wahl also had a strong performance with 11 points and 9 rebounds.

UTRGV was led by Javon Levi, who scored a game-high 31 points. Justin Johnson added 18 points for the Vaqueros, while TreVonte Zipperer had 12 points.

Defense Steps Up in the Second Half

After allowing UTRGV to shoot 50% from the field in the first half, Wisconsin's defense tightened up in the second half. The Badgers held the Vaqueros to just 36% shooting in the final 20 minutes, including 25% from three-point range.

Wisconsin also forced 12 turnovers in the second half, which helped to create easy scoring opportunities for the Badgers.

Blackwell Continues to Impress

Blackwell's performance against UTRGV was just the latest in a string of impressive outings for the sophomore guard. Blackwell has averaged 17.8 points per game this season, and he has emerged as one of the Badgers' most reliable scoring threats.

Blackwell's ability to score from anywhere on the court makes him a difficult matchup for opposing defenses. He can shoot from deep, he can drive to the basket, and he can create his own shot off the dribble.

Wisconsin Moves Forward

With the win over UTRGV, Wisconsin improves to 9-2 on the season. The Badgers will be back in action on Friday, December 16th, when they host the Buffalo Bulls at the Kohl Center.

UTRGV falls to 6-5 with the loss. The Vaqueros will be back in action on Saturday, December 17th, when they host the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders.