Tonje scores 32 as No. 18 Wisconsin tops No. 7 Michigan St. 77-74 in Big Ten semis
AP
Mar 15, 2025
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) John Tonje scored 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers beat No. 7 Michigan State 77-74 on Saturday in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
John Blackwell added 14 points as the Badgers (26-8) won for the third time in four days. They will play No. 22 Michigan for the tournament title on Sunday. The Wolverines beat No. 11 Maryland 81-80 on a last-second layup.
Jase Richardson had 21 points and seven rebounds for the Spartans (27-6). Jeremy Fears Jr. had 14 points and six assists, but he had the ball knocked away in the waning seconds as he tried to tie the score with a heave from near the midcourt logo.
Michigan State, the league's regular-season champs, had won eight in a row.
Wisconsin erased a 45-41 deficit with an 11-0 run in the second half. The Badgers were pushed to the very end, but they used four straight points to make it 72-67 with 1:10 to play.
Wisconsin: The Badgers followed an 86-point game with 19 3-pointers by showing they could win a grind-it-out game, too. Tonje could make Wisconsin a sneaky Final Four pick.
Michigan State: The Spartans were rolling until Saturday. Could this loss cost the Spartans a No. 2 seed for the NCAA tourney? Maybe. But getting an extra day off might help more.
After Tonje missed a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left, Blackwell tried to chase down the rebound, but his path was impeded by Jaden Akins, who was called for the foul. Blackwell made both free throws to give the Badgers a 74-70 lead with 31.4 seconds to go.
The Badgers made three more free throws than Michigan State, 22-19.
Wisconsin will play No. 22 Michigan on Sunday and try to win its first Big Ten tourney title since 2015 and claim the league’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The Spartans will find out their tourney fate Sunday.
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1st Half
WISC
Badgers
37
MIST
Spartans
33
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Steven Crowl vs. Szymon Zapala (Jeremy Fears Jr. gains possession)
19:48
Jase Richardson offensive foul (Max Klesmit draws the foul)
19:48
Jase Richardson turnover (offensive foul)
19:37
Max Klesmit turnover (bad pass) (Szymon Zapala steals)
19:08
Jaxon Kohler misses two point jump shot
19:06
Jaxon Kohler offensive rebound
19:00
+3
Jase Richardson makes three point jump shot (Jeremy Fears Jr. assists)
0-3
18:48
Steven Crowl misses three point jump shot
18:46
Jaxon Kohler defensive rebound
18:17
Jaden Akins misses two point jump shot
18:15
John Tonje defensive rebound
18:07
Jeremy Fears Jr. shooting foul (John Tonje draws the foul)
18:07
+1
John Tonje makes regular free throw 1 of 2
1-3
18:07
+1
John Tonje makes regular free throw 2 of 2
2-3
17:53
+2
Jeremy Fears Jr. makes two point driving layup
2-5
17:25
+2
Carter Gilmore makes two point fadeaway jump shot
4-5
17:05
Steven Crowl personal foul (Szymon Zapala draws the foul)
16:57
+2
Jase Richardson makes two point driving layup
4-7
16:48
Carter Gilmore misses two point hook shot
16:46
Jaxon Kohler defensive rebound
16:27
+3
Jase Richardson makes three point stepback jump shot
4-10
16:14
John Tonje misses three point jump shot
16:12
Jase Richardson defensive rebound
16:07
+3
Jaden Akins makes three point jump shot (Jase Richardson assists)
4-13
15:51
+3
Nolan Winter makes three point jump shot (Max Klesmit assists)
7-13
15:37
Max Klesmit personal foul (Jaden Akins draws the foul)
15:37
TV timeout
15:30
Carter Gilmore shooting foul (Carson Cooper draws the foul)
15:30
+1
Carson Cooper makes regular free throw 1 of 2
7-14
15:30
+1
Carson Cooper makes regular free throw 2 of 2
7-15
15:17
John Blackwell misses three point jump shot
15:15
Jack Janicki offensive rebound
15:09
Kamari McGee misses three point jump shot
15:07
Carson Cooper defensive rebound
14:42
Frankie Fidler misses two point turnaround jump shot
14:40
Carter Gilmore defensive rebound
14:21
+2
Jack Janicki makes two point driving layup (Carter Gilmore assists)
9-15
13:49
Tre Holloman misses three point jump shot
13:47
John Blackwell defensive rebound
13:39
+3
Carter Gilmore makes three point jump shot (John Blackwell assists)
12-15
13:13
Tre Holloman misses two point jump shot
13:11
Carson Cooper offensive rebound
13:11
Nolan Winter personal foul (Carson Cooper draws the foul)
13:00
Coen Carr misses three point jump shot
12:58
Max Klesmit defensive rebound
12:49
Max Klesmit misses three point jump shot
12:47
Carson Cooper defensive rebound
12:40
Coen Carr misses two point layup
12:38
Coen Carr offensive rebound
12:34
+2
Coen Carr makes two point tip layup
12-17
12:18
Xavier Amos misses three point jump shot
12:16
Jaxon Kohler defensive rebound
11:57
+3
Tre Holloman makes three point jump shot (Carson Cooper assists)
12-20
11:42
Jaxon Kohler shooting foul (John Tonje draws the foul)
11:42
+1
John Tonje makes regular free throw 1 of 2
13-20
11:42
+1
John Tonje makes regular free throw 2 of 2
14-20
11:25
+2
Jeremy Fears Jr. makes two point pullup jump shot (Jaxon Kohler assists)
14-22
11:07
+2
Xavier Amos makes two point driving finger roll layup (Max Klesmit assists)
16-22
11:07
Jaxon Kohler shooting foul (Xavier Amos draws the foul)
11:07
Xavier Amos misses regular free throw 1 of 1
11:07
Coen Carr defensive rebound
10:46
Xavier Amos shooting foul (Tre Holloman draws the foul)
10:46
+1
Tre Holloman makes regular free throw 1 of 2
16-23
10:46
+1
Tre Holloman makes regular free throw 2 of 2
16-24
10:33
+2
John Blackwell makes two point jump shot (Max Klesmit assists)
18-24
10:25
Xavier Booker misses three point jump shot
10:21
Badgers defensive rebound
10:11
John Tonje offensive foul (Jeremy Fears Jr. draws the foul)
10:11
John Tonje turnover (offensive foul)
9:48
Jeremy Fears Jr. misses two point jump shot
9:46
Szymon Zapala offensive rebound
9:44
Carter Gilmore blocks Szymon Zapala's two point layup
9:44
John Tonje defensive rebound
9:44
Jase Richardson blocks John Blackwell's two point jump shot
9:42
Jase Richardson defensive rebound
9:40
John Blackwell personal foul (Jase Richardson draws the foul)
9:40
+1
Jase Richardson makes regular free throw 1 of 2
18-25
9:40
+1
Jase Richardson makes regular free throw 2 of 2
18-26
9:29
+2
Kamari McGee makes two point cutting layup (Nolan Winter assists)