Five stats that defined Wisconsin basketball’s tough road loss to UCLA
Wisconsin basketball’s seven-game win streak concluded with an 85-83 road loss to the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday.
Fueled by a breakthrough 22-point performance from 7-foot-3 bench center Aday Mara and 15 second-half points from bench guard Sebastian Mack, the Bruins overpowered the Badgers down low in the second half. Wisconsin had established a nine-point edge in the first half, but UCLA’s relentless two-point attack in the closing frame, driven by 30 second-half bench points, proved too much for Greg Gard’s group to overcome.
Veteran wing John Tonje finished with a game-high 24 points on 8-of-9 from the field and 6-of-7 from beyond the arc. Sophomore star John Blackwell also dropped 23 points, plus Steven Crowl notched 11 points and five rebounds in the losing effort.
The Badgers shot efficiently from all three levels — 51.0% from the field, 50.0% from deep and 85.7% from the foul line. Yet the team committed 13 turnovers and 23 personal fouls. In a a hostile road environment, those totals are a guaranteed way to lose.
Still, the experience is valuable. This is Wisconsin’s first late-game loss since its 67-64 loss to Michigan on Dec. 3. It should help the team continue to improve as Big Ten play continues.
Here are five stats that defined UW’s fourth loss of the season, and first in over a month:
1. 22 points from Aday Mara
For a player who averages just over four points on the season, 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara’s 22-point outburst was shocking for Badger fans. The Spaniard shot a perfect 7-of-7 from the field and nailed eight free throws in 21 minutes in his best game as a Bruin.
While Wisconsin center Steven Crowl has been playing phenomenal basketball during UW’s recent win streak, Mara looked like the best big on the floor. Mara is unlikely to replicate this performance regularly. But Crowl has well-chronicled struggles against elite opposing big men — those struggles showed up on Tuesday.
2. UCLA’s 30 points in the paint
Specifically, UCLA shot 14-of-20 from two-point range in the second half. A bulk of the Bruins’ paint scoring arrived from the aforementioned Mara and bench guard Sebastian Mack. The Badgers had no answer. Wisconsin shot extremely well from the outside, but UCLA’s consistence presence down low was devastating on Tuesday.
3. 24 points from John Tonje
While the loss is disheartening, John Tonje’s 24 points quelled any doubters who pointed to his zero-point output against USC on Jan. 18. Tonje quickly extinguished the discourse with 16 points in the first half, 15 of which came from deep, to propel Wisconsin to an early nine-point edge.
The wing went quiet for the first stanza of the second half, but he regained his offensive rhythm with eight points in the game’s final seven minutes. His consistency will become more important as UW continues its conference gauntlet.
4. 28 free-throw attempts for UCLA
Wisconsin committed 23 fouls on Tuesday which enabled the Bruins to shoot 28 attempts from the foul line. UCLA converted on 21 of those looks to finish with a 75% clip from the stripe, nearly five percentage points higher than the team’s season average.
The 21 free throw makes covered up the Bruins’ lack of volume from deep and put the Badgers in a precarious situation when playing defense. UCLA reached the line seven more times than UW in the two-point win.
5. 18 second-half points from John Blackwell
This may be the most encouraging statistic from Tuesday’s outcome. Blackwell, who dropped 28 points in Wisconsin’s latest win over USC, has been playing like a budding star in the Badgers’ recent conference games.
If Blackwell can maintain his late-game success, Wisconsin is a dangerous team in crunch time. His and Tonje’s play, as well as the Badgers’ free throw capacity, can separate UW from other crews in the Big Ten.
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