John Blackwell's career night helps No. 19 Wisconsin outlast UTRGV from

John Blackwell's Career Night Helps No. 19 Wisconsin Escape UTRGV

Badgers avoid upset with 61-58 victory

Blackwell scores a career-high 22 points, including the go-ahead layup with 1:13 remaining

MADISON, Wis. -- John Blackwell's career night helped No. 19 Wisconsin avoid an upset bid by UTRGV on Tuesday night. The Badgers (9-2) escaped the upset-minded Vaqueros (6-5) with a 61-58 victory at the Kohl Center. Blackwell, a sophomore guard, scored a career-high 22 points, including the go-ahead layup with 1:13 remaining. Wisconsin led by just three points with less than two minutes to play, but Blackwell's layup gave the Badgers a 59-56 lead. UTRGV had a chance to tie the game with 10 seconds remaining, but Javon Levi's 3-point attempt was off the mark. Wisconsin secured the rebound and Brad Davison made two free throws to seal the victory. The Badgers were led by Blackwell's 22 points, while Davison added 13 points and Tyler Wahl had 10 points and 10 rebounds. UTRGV was led by Levi's 17 points, while Justin Johnson added 14 points and Marek Martin had 10 points. The Badgers shot just 39.3% from the field, but they made up for it by hitting 10 3-pointers. UTRGV shot 40.7% from the field, but they were just 4 of 17 from 3-point range. No. 19 Wisconsin will return to action on Friday when they host Marquette. UTRGV will return to action on Saturday when they host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.