DENVER - The third-seeded Wisconsin men's basketball won its NCAA first round match up on Thursday, defeating the 14th-seeded Montana Grizzlies, 85-66 at Ball Arena in Denver.

The Badgers put on a balanced offensive display, shooting 55.4% (31-for-56) from the field, with five players reaching double-figures.

John Blackwell led the way with 19 points, going 7-for-9 on 2-point attempts. Steven Crowl had an efficient game as well, scoring 18 points with a 8-for-10 mark from the field. John Tonje and Nolan Winter added 15 and 10 points respectively. Xavier Amos put up 11 points, with four rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes off the bench.

Wisconsin led the contest for over 39 minutes. A Xavier Amos 3-pointer early in the second half capped a 17-5 run for the Badgers, separating themselves from the Grizzlies for the rest of the game. 

UW pounded the glass, out rebounding the Grizzlies 40-29, and scoring 38 points in the paint.

The Badgers scored 85 points in an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2021 - tied for their third highest scoring tournament game in NCAA history.

Wisconsin is now 17-4 in the opening round since 2002.

Up Next: 
The Badgers take on the winner of sixth-seeded BYU and 11th-seeded VCU in the second round on Saturday. Tip off time is yet to be determined.