Rub a Dub Dub: Wisconsin Easily Wins Battle of the UWs

Danny Sprinkle's team leads just once as it gets blown out in Madison.

The Huskies lost at Wisconsin and remained in last place in the Big Ten. / Skylar Lin Visuals

The good news for the University of Washington basketball team is it's almost over.

The Huskies' first tour of the Big Ten, often punishing and painful, is down to three games and likely over for Danny Sprinkle's last-place entry.

On Tuesday night, the UW played the better UW -- the third-place University of Wisconsin -- quickly fell behind after the first five minutes and was pummeled badly thereafter in Madison, sent home with an 88-62 defeat.

Still not mathematically eliminated from the conference postseason, Sprinkle now brings his team home for a Saturday afternoon game against Indiana (16-11, 7-9) at Alaska Airlines Arena and to finish out the regular-season string.

The UW next week closes out the conference schedule with a road game at USC (14-13, 6-10) on Wednesday, March 5, and the regular-season finale at home against Oregon (20-8, 9-8) on Sunday, March 9.

The Big Ten Tournament, held March 12-16 in Indianapolis, takes only the top 15 from the 18-team conference standings. The Huskies are expected to watch from home.

The UW (13-15 overall, 4-13 league) wore its black uniforms, but it was a Wisconsin guy named John Blackwell who was far more color coordinated. Blackwell finished with a double-double with a game-best 24 points and 10 rebounds for Wisconsin (22-6, 12-5).

A 6-foot-4 sophomore guard from Bloomfield, Michigan, Blackwell had 19 of his points in the opening half by connecting on 8 of his first 11 shots, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, to send the Huskies well on their way to their fourth loss in five games.

Looking a little lethargic on the sixth day of this Midwest road trop. Sprinkle's guys led just once, at 5-3 when junior guard Mekhi Mason hit a 3-pointer.

The Badgers went ahead for good at 7-5 on Nolan Winter's tip-in and the game got progressively more one-sided, with the home team taking a 43-28 lead at halftime. Midway through the second half, the Huskies trailed by 30, the first time at 76-46.

No one did much of anything for the uninspired and overmatched Huskies. Senior power forward Great Osobor topped his team with 11 points, as the only Husky in double figures. Yet he didn't provide much inside presence against the Badgers, grabbing just 2 rebounds.

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