Wisconsin uses depth to take down struggling Central Michigan

Field Level Media|published: Mon 22nd December, 22:42 2025

Dec 19, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers head coach Greg Gard talks to guard Nick Boyd (2) in overtime against the Villanova Wildcats at the Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Nolan Winter and Austin Rapp had 18 points apiece to pace Wisconsin to an 88-61 nonconference victory over visiting Central Michigan on Monday night in Madison.

Winter, who entered averaging 13.7 points and a team-best 9.5 rebounds, limped off the court with just under six minutes and did not return. His status is unclear.

Wisconsin (8-4) bounced back from two consecutive losses to improve to 7-0 at home. Wisconsin lost by 30 points two weeks ago in its Big Ten opener at Nebraska, then lost to Villanova 76-66 in Milwaukee on Friday.

Tamario Adley had 13 points and Nathan Claerbaut added 12 for Central Michigan (4-8), which has lost five of its last six games.

Wisconsin was without starting guard John Blackwell, the second-leading scorer at 19.1 points per game, who was out with an undisclosed injury.

Rapp, who was Freshman of the Year last season in the West Coast Conference with Portland, came off the bench to hit 7 of 10 shots, including 4 of 7 beyond the arc. Winter hit 6 of 9 shots and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.

Wisconsin led 40-28 at the break and extended it to 58-33 with 11:32 remaining on back-to-back 3-pointers by Rapp as Central Michigan went scoreless for more than five minutes.

Highly touted freshman guard Zach Kinziger made his debut and hit a 3-pointer from the left corner for his first points to cap a 20-1 run and push the lead to 66-34.

Logan McIntire hit a 3-pointer to cap a 9-1 run that gave the Chippewas an early 11-10 lead. Winter countered with a pair of 3-pointers in a 9-0 run that put Wisconsin back in front 19-11.

Seven-foot freshman forward Will Garlock converted a three-point play to put Wisconsin up 40-28 at the half.

Wisconsin, which entered fifth in the nation in free-throw percentage at 79.3, hit just 17 of 26 from the line for 65.4 percent.

Kinziger, a four-star in-state recruit from De Pere, Wis., who had been considering redshirting, had six points on 2-of-4 shooting from three-point range, and added two assists in nine minutes.

--Field Level Media