Mar 09, 2026
3 min read
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.- Thanks to a combined 48 points from Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, the Wisconsin basketball team cruised past No. 15 Purdue, 97-93...
The Badgers edged the No. 15 Boilermakers, 97-93
March 7, 2026 |Men's basketball
Boyd and Blackwell combined for 48 in the regular season finale
West Lafayette, Indiana – Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined to score 48 points as the Wisconsin men's basketball team defeated No. 15 Purdue, 97-93, on Saturday at McKee Arena.
Blackwell finished with a game-high 25 points on the strength of five three-pointers.Boyd had 23, including 10 of UW's final 12 points.He added five assists and three rebounds.
Badger's pair of big men, Alexas Bliauskas and Austin Rapp, were crucial to UW's margin.The big stretches combined for eight three-pointers, with Rapp finishing with 17 points and Bliauskas with 16.Wisconsin continued to grind from deep, sinking 18 treys.
The Badgers grabbed an early lead during an electric start as Bieliuaskas nailed two threes, and Blackwell added one and one through contact.The Boilermakers responded with a 13-0 run, before a Rapp trey calmed the storm at the 12-minute mark.
UW turned up the heat and held Purdue scoreless for over two minutes.The Badgers fired again from the perimeter, sparking an 8-2 run and forcing Purdue to call a timeout with two minutes left in the half.Carrington and Rod fueled the explosion.UW hit 12 3-pointers in the half and took a 52-47 lead into the locker room.
Wisconsin used its momentum to start the second with a 7-2 run.Purdue would answer with an 8-0 run of its own before UW hit it with an 8-0 run into the right back corner.Rapp and Bieliauksas spaced the floor with two more 3-pointers in between to provide a tight end.
The teams traded buckets until the 90-second mark, with Purdue thanks to a three-pointer.Boyd made a jumper in the lane at the other end to extend the lead to three, and Purdue cut it to two with a free throw.The Boilermakers were forced to foul out, sending Carrington to the line with 20 seconds left.The senior will achieve a badger victory.
Above: The Badgers beat Purdue for the fifth seed in the 2026 Big Ten Tournament, presented by TIAA.As it stands, the Badgers will play Thursday in Chicago, at about 2:00 p.m.CT, against the No. 12 and No. 13 seeds. The Badgers can jump to the fourth seed - or triple-bye - to see UW start the postseason on Friday.
Press conference after the match:
