MADISON, Wis. (AP) — John Blackwell scored 31 points as No. 24 Wisconsin pulled away for a convincing 96-64 victory over Campbell in the season opener for both teams on Monday night.
Blackwell came just one point shy of his career high, which stands at 32 points scored in a 116-85 rout of Iowa on January 3. Nick Boyd contributed 21 points for Wisconsin, who started the season ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since the 2020-21 season. Nolan Winter added a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
Last season, Blackwell finished second on the team in scoring while Winter was fourth, helping Wisconsin reach the NCAA Tournament’s round of 32. Meanwhile, Boyd joined Wisconsin after playing on Florida Atlantic’s 2023 Final Four team, having previously played at San Diego State.
Wisconsin outscored Campbell 29-2 over the final 7 minutes and 32 seconds of the game. Campbell missed its last 12 field-goal attempts following a 3-pointer by DJ Smith with 10:35 remaining.
Campbell’s John Andrzejek made his head coaching debut at age 32, after serving as an assistant on Florida’s national championship team last season. Andrzejek replaced Kevin McGeehan, who was fired after compiling a 184-199 record over 12 seasons.
Smith led Campbell with 23 points. Chris Fields Jr. added 13, and Dovydas Butka contributed 10 points. Smith transferred to Campbell after helping Robert Morris win the Horizon League and reach the NCAA Tournament last season. The 6-foot guard has also played for Bowling Green and Little Rock.
Wisconsin took the lead for good with 11:19 remaining in the first half, overcoming an early deficit of up to five points. Despite the widening margin in the final score, the game remained competitive until Wisconsin’s dominant 15-0 run with less than eight minutes to go, sparked after a missed shot by Fields in the paint.
Up next, Campbell will travel to West Virginia on Thursday, while Wisconsin hosts Northern Illinois on Friday.
https://sports.yahoo.com/article/blackwell-scores-31-points-no-031042227.html
