Nolan Kromke

Box Score

App State APP 1-2,0-0 Sun Belt

Wisconsin Wisc 3-0,0-0 Big Ten

App State APP

1-2,0-0 Sun Belt

Final

Nov. 10, 2024

Wisconsin Wisc

3-0,0-0 Big Ten

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
App State APP	20	36	56
Wisconsin Wisc	36	51	87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | November 10, 2024

Badgers earn 87-56 win over Appalachian State

Tonje and Crowl score 17 points each in win

MADISON, Wis. – John Tonje and Steven Crowl scored a game high 17 points each, leading Wisconsin men's basketball to an 87-56 win over Appalachian State at the Kohl Center on Sunday.

The Badgers opened their season 3-0 for the fourth time under head coach Greg Gard.

The Mountaineers got off to a hot start, building a 17-8 lead over Wisconsin in the first nine minutes of play. UW clamped down and responded with an emphatic 24-0 scoring run that lasted over eight minutes. Five different Badgers scored during the stretch, led by Tonje with seven points.

App State was held scoreless for over nine minutes during the stretch.

The Mountaineers turned the ball over 13 times alone in the first half, finishing with 18 turnovers for the game. UW scored 16 points off turnovers on the day.

Wisconsin kept the pedal down in the second half, scoring 51 points and cruising to its third win in as many games this season.

Tonje and Crowl were joined by three other Badgers scoring in double figures. Max Klesmit had 15 points and matched his career high with five steals. Nolan Winter tallied 10 points and matched his career high with eight rebounds. Xavier Amos came off the bench to record 10 points and six rebounds in 12 minutes.

The Badgers outscored the Mountaineers 48-to-24 in the paint and 8-0 in fast break points.

Quotable:

Head Coach Greg Gard opening statement:
"I'm proud of our guys for just how we've gotten better. I think over the course of this week, and specifically today, I thought that on the defensive end we finally started to click and put some possessions together.

Graduate student guard John Tonje on finding success offensively:
"I think just watching film trying to figure out the offense and doing my best to learn game-to-game and see where our looks are and see where we are at our best. I think feeding the ball to Steven (Crowl) is some of the best offense we can get."

Senior forward Steven Crowl on the team's improved performance:
"There are a bunch of new guys, so just trying to blend the new guys with what we've had from years past. I think it's starting to come together and look a little better."

Senior guard Max Klesmit on shaking off adversity, specifically during slow starts:
"Let's focus on what we're doing well more than what we're doing bad, because that's what we can improve on for the next 20 minutes. There's no sense of coming in and dwelling on that stuff. All we have is the 20 minutes that are ahead of us now."

Notable:

The Badgers have now started the season 3-0 for the fourth time under head coach Greg Gard. UW also opened with three straight wins in 2018-19, 2020-21 and 2022-23.
Wisconsin's 24-0 scoring run during the first half was the team's largest run since scoring the first 25 points of the game in a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff (11/27/20)
UW held Appalachian State scoreless for a span of 8:22, recording 15 consecutive stops. During the run, the Badgers forced six turnovers and held the Mountaineers to 0-for-10 from the field.
The Badgers outscored the Mountaineers 48-to-24 in the paint and 8-0 in fast break points.The last time UW held a team to zero fast break points was vs. Ohio State (2/13/24).
John Tonje tallied double-digit points for the third time in three games, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds, a career high five assists and two steals.
Wisconsin went 13-for-16 (81.3%) from the free throw line and is now shooting an NCAA-leading 92.5 percent (49-for-53) from the charity stripe on the season.