INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nolan Winter scored a season-high 20 points and Steven Crowl added a season-best 18 as No. 20 Wisconsin snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Butler 83-74 in Saturday's second game of the Indy Classic.
Winter also had eight rebounds, and Crowl had six. Max Klesmit and John Tonje each scored 11 points for the Badgers (9-3), who won for the first time in four games this month.
Pierre Brooks scored 23 points and Patrick McCaffery had 16 points and seven rebounds to lead Butler (7-4), which lost its third straight.
Wisconsin committed just three turnovers and made 25 of 27 free throws in leading from the start.
The Badgers went nearly five minutes without a basket in the first half. But Klesmit's buzzer-beating 3-pointer capped an 8-0 closing run to give Wisconsin a 47-33 halftime lead. Butler never got closer than five in the second half.
Two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton and WNBA's Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark both attended the game.
Wisconsin: The Badgers had lost their first two Big Ten games and a game to cross-state rival No. 5 Marquette. This time, they took control late in the first half and steadily pulled away.
Butler: The Bulldogs finished a topsy-turvy non-conference schedule with yet another loss. It don't get any easier, with two top-20 foes to start Big East play this week.
Wisconsin's eight-point flurry in the final 66 seconds of the first half. C
Wisconsin made its first 22 free throws, including all 15 attempts in the first half, which helped them stay ahead of the Bulldogs.
Wisconsin closes out non-conference play next Sunday against Detroit Mercy, while Butler visits No. 6 Marquette on Wednesday.
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