Overtime: Nick Boyd Leads Wisconsin Past Iowa

MADISON, Wis. — Coming off a loss in which they failed to score 70 points for just the second time this season, Wisconsin (19-8, 11-5) took the lone regular-season matchup with Iowa (19-8, 9-7), knocking off their border rival 84-71 on Sunday. The Badgers trailed by as many as nine in the first half, but pulled away in the second half by way of a 12-2 run, closing strong on both ends of the floor.

“When we’re engaged and playing with some fire to us and some sense of urgency, like we did today, we’re a handful for teams,” UW head coach Greg Gard said.

Wisconsin Got Its Pace

If you were Wisconsin, the big concern coming into Sunday was that Iowa would do what they’ve done to a lot of teams this season, put them in a dog fight. The Hawkeyes were also coming off a 57-52 home win over Nebraska on Tuesday.

That concern was put to rest quickly. Instead of playing a half-court style, Iowa was willing to get up and down with the Badgers, despite ranking No. 351 in adjusted tempo.

The possessions (62) weren’t overly high, but UW certainly wasn’t playing deep into the shot clock. The Badgers’ 84 points made them just the second team to score more points than their season average (83.1).

“We got into a pretty good pace and did what we wanted to do from an offensive standpoint,” Gard stated.

Boyd Out-Duels Strirtz

Another key angle to Sunday’s matchup was how Wisconsin’s guards would fare against Iowa star Benenett Stirtz.

Junior guard John Blackwell played just 10 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble. Blackwell did get going late, finishing with 13 points, but on just two made field goals. Blackwell would wind up playing 30 minutes, recording a block and a steal.

The reason Wisconsin survived 23 points (9-16) from Stirtz was senior guard Nick Boyd. Putting together another masterclass, Boyd finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, going for 27 points (9-16), 10 assists, and nine rebounds against the Hawkeyes.

“Boyd was terrific,” said Gard. “When we’re able to spread the floor and you make some shots around him, that opens up more.”

Wisconsin Closed Well…Again

Say what you want about this team’s defense, and the criticism is rightfully deserved at times, but Wisconsin has shown an enate ability to close games on that end of the floor.

In the early going, it appeared Iowa would get whatever they want. The Hawkeyes averaged 1.4 points per possession, had seven dunks/layups, and scored on 62 percent of their offensive trips in the first half. In the second half, UW held Iowa to 30 points, 41 percent shooting, while also generating a turnover on 18 percent of their defensive possessions.

It was a one-possession game with just over six minutes to play. In the final 6:14, Iowa made just three of 11 field goal attempts. All three of those makes came in the final 2:00 as the Badgers had virtually put the game way.

Like they did at Michigan and at Illinois earlier this season, UW played some of its best defensive ball in the final minutes. Because of their defense and free throw shooting, the Badgers were able to pull away despite missing their last five shots of the game.

“I think this group does a good job of adjusting,” said Gard. “When I come in at halftime, I ask the questions. The things they talk about are typically what I’ve got written in my notes. Usually, they’re spot on. I think the improvement comes from them autocorrecting. When you get internal team leadership…that’s when you know you’ve got a good team.”

Game Ball

The stats team needs to go back and find Boyd one more rebound. Boyd nearly became the first Badger since Ethan Happ in 2019 to record a triple-double. Prior to Wisconsin’s last defensive possession, Boyd checked out to a roaring ovation.

“I didn’t realize he had nine rebounds,” Gard laughed. “Coaches were trying to remind me. I felt keeping him healthy, the game was done, wrapped. It was more important than if he could snag another for a triple-double.”

Still, Boyd’s 10 assists were a career-high and the most by a Wisconsin player since Happ’s triple-double against Northwestern. Going back to 2004-04, only four other Badgers have recorded 10 or more assists in a game (Happ, Nigel Hayes, Jordan Taylor, Josh Gasser). Boyd also posted his 17th game with 20 or more points, which ranks second in the Big Ten.

Beyond the Box Score

1.36: Wisconsin averaged 1.36 points per possession.

3: The Hawkeyes made just three field goals in the final 6:14.

3:59: After Iowa took an early nine-point lead, it took the Badgers 3:59 to erase the deficit via an 8-0 run.

6: Iowa made six consecutive shots to take a 19-11 lead in the first half.

6: Boyd and Nolan Winter combined to make their first six shots.

6:11: Iowa went 6:11 without a made field goal in the first half.

7:20: The Badgers didn’t commit a foul in the second half until the 7:20 mark.

10: Boyd had a career-high 10 assists.

10: UW scored 10 unanswered points during a 12-2 run to open up a 78-65 lead late in the second half.

11: UW used an 11-0 run to grab a 49-44 lead in the second half.

15: Boyd and Winter combined to score 15 points in a row at one point in the game.

17:40: Blackwell didn’t score until the 17:40 mark of the first half.

19: UW was +19 with Blackwell on the floor.

29: Boyd and Winter combined for 29 of UW’s 40 first-half points.