wisconsin vs ohio state — Buckeyes' 86-69 win exposes Badgers' late-season flaws
Ohio State handed No. 24 Wisconsin a decisive 86-69 defeat on Tuesday evening (ET), capitalizing on torrid three-point shooting and early control to pull away. The loss leaves Wisconsin with critical questions about its defensive consistency and late-season résumé as the regular season winds down.
Buckeyes' perimeter barrage built an early lead
The home team established control from the opening minutes, turning timely long-range shooting into a sizable cushion. Ohio State connected on 11 three-pointers at a 52. 4 percent clip, with Devin Royal drilling four from downtown and Amare Bynum and Bruce Thornton contributing three each. That barrage helped the Buckeyes jump to an early lead that Wisconsin never overcame; Ohio State shot well overall in the first half and moved the ball efficiently, forcing the Badgers into uncomfortable defensive looks.
Wisconsin managed to lead for only 44 seconds over the course of the contest, and the Buckeyes' ability to convert from deep made the deficit increasingly difficult to erase. Ohio State's shooting stretches, especially to open the game, established a tempo that favored the hosts and put Wisconsin in a reactive role for much of the night.
Badgers' cold shooting, turnovers and free throws compounded problems
Wisconsin arrived on the back of a strong stretch but could not replicate that offensive rhythm. The Badgers finished just 7 of 26 from three, and outside of Braeden Carrington the unit had very little production from deep. The starters combined for only two made threes on 12 attempts, leaving a heavy burden on late-game heroics that never materialized.
Turnovers were another decisive factor. Key playmakers had uncharacteristic lapses with multiple giveaways — Nick Boyd and John Blackwell each committed three turnovers, while Andrew Rohde was pulled in the second half after a couple of miscues. Those turnovers often followed Ohio State scores, preventing Wisconsin from mounting sustained runs and feeding transition opportunities for the Buckeyes.
Fatigue and execution also showed at the free-throw line, where Wisconsin converted just 8 of 16 attempts. While eight points alone may not account for the margin, the missed opportunities underscored how the game slipped away in critical moments and how the Badgers' late-game touch was off when they needed fundamental points the most.
Standings implications and what comes next
The defeat drops Wisconsin to 18-8 overall and 10-5 in conference play, a costly stumble given its recent run and ranking in the Top 25 earlier in the week. The loss also likely removes one of the clearer Quad 1A opportunities on the Badgers' remaining schedule, a blow to the profile of their résumé ahead of postseason seeding decisions.
For Ohio State, the victory highlighted strengths to build on — particularly perimeter efficiency and ball movement — and it provided a momentum boost in a congested stretch of conference play. Wisconsin, meanwhile, must address defensive discipline, three-point consistency and ball security quickly if it hopes to reassert itself before the regular-season finale.
Both teams will have little time to regroup. The Big Ten slate accelerates this stretch, and each result carries outsized impact on seeding and selection narratives. Tuesday's meeting settled in clear fashion, but there are still multiple chances left for both programs to shape their postseasons — starting with how they respond to the lessons of this matchup.
