Wisconsin overcame a 52-48 halftime deficit to extend its season-opening winning streak to five games. The Vaqueros (3-3) entered with a three-game winning streak.

Tonje coming off a 41-point effort in a win over Arizona, hit four free throws to give Wisconsin an 82-77 lead with just over two minutes remaining. DK Thorn hit a deep 3-pointer that pulled the Vaqueros within 85-84 with 1:02 left.

After each team missed a jumper in the lane, Blackwell hit two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to put Wisconsin up 87-84.

Hasan Abdul Hakim scored 19 points and Trey Miller 12 for UTRGV.

Takeaways

UT-Rio Grande Valley: The Vaqueros refused to fold when Wisconsin made a second-half run and took a five-point lead with just over 3 ½ minutes remaining, making it one-possession game down the stretch.

Wisconsin: The Badgers did not play nearly as well as they did against Arizona, but toughened down the stretch, holding UTRGV to 11 second-half field goals.

Key moment

Hasan Abdul Hakim hit a 3-pointer to put UTRGV up 61-54, but the Vaqueros went scoreless for more almost four minutes as Wisconsin rallied and tied it a 61.

Key stat

Wisconsin, which entered shooting a nation-leading 90% in free throws, hit its first 11 from the line before Steven Crowl missed the second of two. The Badgers finished 27 of 32.

Notable:

• The Badgers have now started the season 5-0 for the first time since opening the 2018-19 season with 5 straight wins
• The Badgers have now scored at least 79 points in each of the first 5 games for the first time since the 2005-06 season. UW is averaging 88.2 ppg on the season.
• Wisconsin went 27-for-32 (84.4%) from the free throw line and is now shooting an NCAA-leading 88.6% (117-for-132) from the charity stripe on the season.
• Sophomore John Blackwell scored a career-high 30 points, going 11-for-18 (2-5 3FGs) from the field and 6-for-8 from the FT line. Blackwell became the first Badger guard to tally 30+ points and seven or more rebounds since Johnny Davis on Feb. 15, 2022 at Indiana (30 points, 12 rebounds). Blackwell and Davis are the only Badger underclassmen since 2004-05 to score
  30+ points and grab seven or more rebounds.
• After Graduate student John Tonje scored a career-high 41 points last game against Arizona, Wisconsin now has back-to-back 30+ scoring performances from a Badger for the first time since at least 2005-06.
• Tonje came into the game ranked 2nd in the nation in made free throws. He went 10-for-10 at the free throw line and scored 19 points.
  He posted a 3-for-5 clip from deep. Tonje is the first Badger to record a perfect clip at the line with at least 10 attempts since Brad Davison on Feb. 15, 2022 (10-for-10). Including Monday's 10-for-10 effort, Tonje is now shooting 47-for-49 (95.9%) from the line. That mark leads the NCAA among players with more than 20 free throw attempts
• Graduate Student Steven Crowl posted 9 points and 5 rebounds. Crowl now has 1,172 career points, moving into 30th place in UW history, surpassing Joe Chrnelich (1,171 from 1977-80), Don Rehfeldt (1,169 from 1945-50) and Leon Howard (1,165 from 1971-73).

Quotable: 

Head Coach Greg Gard opening statement:
"We made some mistakes and allowed the force rotations and scrambles. Then, they start banging some threes, they get some confidence and it grows. That second half we were better. The smaller lineup helped with that, trying to minimize some of that. We were able to find a way when we were not at our best and a unique team to have to run around with and guard. Then, the plays there at the end, Kamari Mcgee did an awesome job of switching on the pistol action screen and standing the offensive player up. Then, (John) Blackwell went to get the rebound, finishing it out. Good teams find a way when things aren't always clicking ... We'll learn from it and keep getting better. Move on to the next one."

Senior guard Max Klesmit on what message Coach Gard had at halftime:
"I think we're all pretty hard on each other in the halftime locker room when it's just the players waiting for the coaches. In a good way though. Not getting after each other, not just talking about what we have to improve on. There wasn't anything specific coach said in the huddle. I think we all kinda knew the issue that had just happened and how we had to fix it."

Sophomore guard John Blackwell on his scoring performance:
"I just play the flow of the game. I just take what the defense gives me ... I'll take it. If I gotta get it on to the next guy, I'll do it."

Graduate guard John Tonje on pulling out the late victory:
"Yeah, just trying to take what the defense gives me and also just trying to play the game. I think at the end of second half, there were some times I needed to get downhill and try to make a play for my team. We strung together a couple of stops and made some crucial free throws with Blackwell as well. We just do everything we can to win."

Up Next:

The Badgers travel to The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia for the Greenbrier Tip-Off. Wisconsin's first game will be against UCF on Friday, November 22 at 4 p.m. (CT). The game will air on CBS Sports Network.