Wisconsin’s final tune-up was less about late drama and more about how cleanly the Badgers picked apart Oklahoma State from the perimeter.
At the Kohl Center on Tuesday night, Wisconsin rolled to an 82-65 exhibition win to finish a perfect three-game preseason, and the shooting numbers told the story right away. The Badgers knocked down 18 of 41 from 3-point range, a 43.9 percent clip, while Oklahoma State managed only five makes on 24 attempts. Add in the Cowboys’ 22 turnovers, and Wisconsin had all the breathing room it needed.
The three-point margin was staggering: Wisconsin outscored Oklahoma State 54-15 from beyond the arc, a 39-point edge in a game decided by 17.
This wasn’t a one-man shooting show, either. Eight Badgers hit at least one three, giving Greg Gard’s group a spread-out attack that kept the Cowboys guessing. Eian Elmer buried three triples, while Trey Autry and Zach Kinziger each added two off the bench.
Owen Foxwell paced Wisconsin with 19 points, 16 of them in the first half, and he also chipped in three assists and three rebounds. Elmer finished with 11 points, and Nolan Winter, Braeden Carrington and Austin Rapp each scored 10. Wisconsin’s bench produced 39 points, dwarfing Oklahoma State’s 14.
That kind of balance matters, especially with roster changes still shaping the team. Wisconsin showed it can hurt defenses from multiple spots, and it backed that up with 17 assists to Oklahoma State’s nine.
The Cowboys had a few things working in their favor, though not enough to change the outcome. They outrebounded Wisconsin 38-36 and owned the paint 24-12, so the interior battle wasn’t the issue.
The problem was the rest of the floor. Oklahoma State shot 40 percent overall and just 20.8 percent from three, and the missed shots turned into a long night on the road.
Junior center Julius Halaifonua led the Cowboys with 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting. Jacob Walker added 12 points and four assists, while Kashie Natt posted 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists after nearly recording a triple-double against Tulsa in the previous exhibition.
Oklahoma State did show more life after halftime. The Cowboys hit 13 of 23 shots in the second half, good for 56.5 percent, and a 7-0 run cut the Wisconsin lead to 65-57 with 7:19 left. But Carrington answered with a three, and the Badgers never really lost control.
The Cowboys finished their three-game exhibition slate at 1-2 and open the regular season November 2 against Incarnate Word. Wisconsin begins official play that same day against Denver.
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