Wisconsin guard John Tonje (9) reacts to a basket against UCLA during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Conference tournament in Indianapolis, Friday, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — John Tonje matched his career high with six 3-pointers on his way to 26 points, and No. 18 Wisconsin tied the Big Ten Tournament single-game record by making 19 3s in an 86-70 victory over fourth-seeded UCLA on Friday.

Tonje also had nine rebounds and four assists. He was 9 of 10 from the field and a perfect 6 for 6 on 3s as the Badgers (25-8) advanced to Saturday’s first semifinal game against No. 7 Michigan State. Tip-off is set for noon today on CBS.

Wisconsin’s John Blackwell added 18 points, five rebounds and four assists while making four 3s. Six Badgers made at least one shot from beyond the arc. Iowa also made 19 3s against Northwestern three years ago.

Sebastian Mack scored 18 points for the Bruins (22-10), who head into the NCAA Tournament with a 4-4 mark in their last eight games. Kobe Johnson had 14 points.

Wisconsin seized control by closing the first half with a flurry of 3s to build a 48-29 cushion.

Takeaways

Wisconsin: Coach Greg Gard’s revamped offense certainly has paid dividends this season, and it was never more evident than during Friday’s shooting display. Now comes the bigger test: winning a third game in three days, this time against a top-10 foe.

UCLA: It was a miserable first Big Ten tourney game for the Bruins. They shot 32.4% from the field, couldn’t defend the 3-point line and spent most of the day staring at double-digit deficits. Now UCLA will find out if this loss damages its NCAA seeding.

Key moment

Wisconsin turned a competitive game into a blowout by making five consecutive 3s during the decisive 15-7 run late in the first half.

Key stat

Wisconsin made 12 3-pointers in the first half while UCLA had only 11 total baskets.

Up next

The Badgers will try to even the season series against the Spartans after losing in East Lansing on March 2. The Bruins head home to get their NCAA Tournament draw.

No. 22 Michigan snaps skid

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Danny Wolf had 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and No. 22 Michigan snapped a three-game losing streak with a 86-68 win over No. 20 Purdue Friday in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal.

The second-seeded Wolverines (23-9) allowed the game’s initial six points, then led for the final 37 minutes in an impressive bounce-back win to advance to a semifinal against No. 11 Maryland (25-7) on Saturday.

Eight Michigan players scored at least six points. Vladislav Goldin added 15 points and eight rebounds. Tre Donaldson had 13 points and Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 11.

Trey Kaufman-Renn led sixth-seeded Purdue (22-11) with 24 points and nine rebounds. Big Ten player of the year Braden Smith, who averaged 24 points and 8.5 assists in two regular-season meetings vs. Michigan, finished with 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting, 2 of 10 from 3-point range. He had six assists.

Takeaways

Purdue: The Boilermakers have a strong 1-2 offensive punch in Kaufman-Renn and Smith, but NCAA Tournament survival likely hinges on the supporting cast, which is capable but often inconsistent.

Michigan: A much-needed confidence boost for the Wolverines after a lackluster regular-season finish. When this team shares the ball (25 assists) and limits turnovers (six), it’s a tough out.

Key moment

Michigan opened the second half with a 12-5 spurt to build a 52-41 lead after a Donaldson 3-pointer.

Key stat

Despite Smith being the league leader in assists, Michigan had a 25-11 edge in the category.

Up next

Purdue awaits an NCAA Tournament bid. Michigan faces Maryland in the semifinals on Saturday.