Wisconsin Badgers beat Butler, snap 3-game losing streak
Wisconsin Badgers guard John Blackwell drives to the basket against Butler on Dec. 14. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS - Nolan Winter scored a season-high 20 points and Steven Crowl added a season-best 18 as No. 20 Wisconsin snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Butler 83-74 in Saturday's second game of the Indy Classic.
Winter also had eight rebounds, and Crowl had six. Max Klesmit and John Tonje each scored 11 points for the Badgers (9-3), who won for the first time in four games this month.
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Pierre Brooks scored 23 points and Patrick McCaffery had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead Butler (7-4), which lost its third straight.
Wisconsin committed just three turnovers and made 25 of 27 free throws in leading from the start.
The Badgers went nearly five minutes without a basket in the first half. But Klesmit's buzzer-beating 3-pointer capped an 8-0 closing run to give Wisconsin a 47-33 halftime lead. Butler never got closer than five in the second half.
Two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton and WNBA's Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark both attended the game.
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Takeaways
Wisconsin: The Badgers had lost their first two Big Ten games and a game to cross-state rival No. 5 Marquette. This time, they took control late in the first half and steadily pulled away.
Butler: The Bulldogs finished a topsy-turvy non-conference schedule with yet another loss. It don't get any easier, with two top-20 foes to start Big East play this week.
Key moment
Wisconsin's eight-point flurry in the final 66 seconds of the first half.
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Key stat
Wisconsin made its first 22 free throws, including all 15 attempts in the first half, which helped them stay ahead of the Bulldogs.
Up next
Wisconsin closes out non-conference play next Sunday against Detroit Mercy, while Butler visits No. 6 Marquette on Wednesday.