Lead: In Minneapolis on Jan. 13, 2026, John Blackwell sank a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and finished with 27 points to lift Wisconsin to a 78-75 victory over Minnesota. The Badgers erased an 11-point second-half deficit and extended their streak against the Golden Gophers to 10 straight wins. Braeden Carrington, coming off the bench, hit seven 3-pointers and scored 21 points, while Cade Tyson’s late 3 with five seconds left had tied the game before Blackwell’s final shot. The result moved Wisconsin to 12-5 (4-2 Big Ten) and left Minnesota at 10-7 (3-3).
Key Takeaways
- Final score: Wisconsin 78, Minnesota 75 on Jan. 13, 2026 in Minneapolis.
- John Blackwell led Wisconsin with 27 points (8 of 14 FG, 5 of 7 3P, 6 of 6 FT), plus six rebounds and five assists.
- Braeden Carrington, a senior off the bench, hit seven 3-pointers and posted a career-high 21 points.
- Cade Tyson hit a tying 3-pointer with five seconds remaining and finished with 14 points for Wisconsin.
- Minnesota’s Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 20 points with eight rebounds; Isaac Asuma had 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
- Nolan Winter recorded his eighth double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds for Wisconsin.
- The Badgers rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit, including a 14-0 run that produced a 66-57 edge with 7:27 left.
- Records after the game: Wisconsin 12-5 (4-2 Big Ten); Minnesota 10-7 (3-3 Big Ten).
Background
Wisconsin entered the Jan. 13 matchup seeking to maintain momentum in Big Ten play and to keep a long-running advantage over Minnesota. The Badgers’ program has controlled this specific matchup in recent seasons; the Jan. 13 result extended Wisconsin’s head-to-head winning streak against the Golden Gophers to 10 games. Both teams came in with differing recent forms: Wisconsin had won three straight overall and five of six, while Minnesota had dropped two straight after a five-game winning run.
The game had conference implications: Wisconsin’s 4-2 Big Ten mark kept them toward the upper middle of the league standings, while Minnesota’s 3-3 conference record left the Golden Gophers fighting to climb back into contention. Coaching staffs on both sides emphasize defense and half-court execution; personnel depth and bench scoring were expected to be factors, and that proved decisive when Carrington’s catch-and-shoot accuracy changed the game’s momentum.
Main Event
Minnesota controlled the early narrative, with Jaylen Crocker-Johnson tallying 10 first-half points as the Golden Gophers closed the half strongly. Minnesota held Wisconsin scoreless over the final 5:11 of the first half and led 35-28 at intermission. Early in the second half Isaac Asuma hit a 3-pointer and Crocker-Johnson converted a three-point play to push Minnesota’s lead to its largest margin, 41-30.
Wisconsin’s comeback was sparked by Braeden Carrington, who buried multiple long-range shots off the bench. Carrington’s three 3-pointers and Blackwell’s driving scores fueled a 14-0 run that flipped the scoreboard and gave the Badgers a 66-57 lead with 7:27 remaining. From there the teams traded possessions and late stops, setting up a frantic finish.
In the closing minute Minnesota rallied; Cade Tyson drilled a tying 3-pointer with five seconds left to force the final possession. On the ensuing inbound, Wisconsin worked for an open look and Blackwell caught, rose and hit a clean 3 at the buzzer to seal the 78-75 win. The sequence capped a comeback that erased an 11-point deficit and underscored Wisconsin’s late-game execution.
Statistically the game highlighted depth: Wisconsin got a veteran scoring burst from a bench player (Carrington) and sustained production from Blackwell and Nolan Winter. Minnesota’s supporting pieces—Asuma and Langston Reynolds—compiled strong all-around numbers but the team could not stop Wisconsin’s late perimeter surge.
Analysis & Implications
Blackwell’s buzzer 3 carries immediate momentum value for Wisconsin. A game-winner in hostile territory can bolster team confidence and help maintain the Badgers’ psychological edge in close conference games. For a program balancing roster turnover and Big Ten parity, high-leverage shots by a primary scorer reduce pressure on role players down the stretch.
Braeden Carrington’s seven 3-pointers reveal both Wisconsin’s bench depth and the matchup vulnerabilities Minnesota showed on the perimeter. Carrington’s career-high performance suggests the Badgers can rely on secondary scoring from the second unit, a key advantage over a long conference season where foul trouble or injuries can force line-up shuffles.
For Minnesota the loss exposes late-game defensive lapses and questions about closing possessions. Despite strong individual stat lines—Crocker-Johnson 20, Asuma 17, Reynolds 12 and 10 assists—the Golden Gophers surrendered an extended run in the second half and could not reclaim enough stops in the final minute. The result drops Minnesota to 3-3 in Big Ten play and creates pressure ahead of a road test at No. 13 Illinois on Saturday.
From a standings and postseason-resume standpoint, the margin between bubble and mid-tier Big Ten positioning can hinge on one-possession finishes. Wisconsin’s victory helps its league resume and may improve short-term metrics used by tournament evaluators; Minnesota’s close loss, meanwhile, will require corrective measures—schematic or personnel—to prevent similar late-game fades.
Comparison & Data
| Team | Record (Overall / Big Ten) | Top Scorers | Top Rebounder | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | 12-5 / 4-2 | Blackwell 27, Carrington 21, Tyson 14 | Nolan Winter 11 | 3 straight wins; 10-game vs MIN streak |
| Minnesota | 10-7 / 3-3 | Crocker-Johnson 20, Asuma 17, Reynolds 12 | Asuma 9 | 2-game skid |
The table highlights how Wisconsin combined top-end scoring (Blackwell) with a sudden bench explosion (Carrington) to overcome Minnesota’s balanced attack. Minnesota’s boxscore production was solid across multiple players, but the Golden Gophers lacked a late defensive stop to preserve the lead.
Reactions & Quotes
Players and observers framed the finish as a mix of clutch execution and missed defensive assignments. Media accounts and postgame coverage emphasized Blackwell’s role and the timing of Carrington’s hot shooting in changing the game’s trajectory.
“Blackwell’s buzzer 3 sealed the 78-75 victory in Minneapolis,”
ESPN (game recap)
ESPN’s recap summarized the game-winning play as the defining moment; outlets noted how the sequence followed Cade Tyson’s tying 3 with five seconds left. The attribution underscores that the final possession and shot selection were decisive.
“Carrington’s seven 3-pointers off the bench produced a career-high 21 points,”
ESPN (box score)
Reports highlighted Carrington’s efficiency from deep as the turning point during the 14-0 run. That kind of bench scoring will be a recurring storyline for Wisconsin if the senior sustains his shooting numbers.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Minnesota’s late defensive drop-off was due to fatigue, schematic error or personnel matchups has not been established by postgame comments.
- Any immediate rotation or lineup changes for Minnesota or Wisconsin ahead of Saturday’s games have not been confirmed by either program at the time of publication.
Bottom Line
Wisconsin’s 78-75 win in Minneapolis hinged on late-game poise and a dramatic buzzer-beater from John Blackwell, complemented by surprising bench shooting from Braeden Carrington. The victory keeps Wisconsin in positive Big Ten position and extends a decade-long edge over Minnesota in the matchup.
Minnesota leaves the game with useful individual performances but with clear areas to address—chiefly late defensive execution—before facing No. 13 Illinois on Saturday. Both teams have immediate opportunities to either build momentum (Wisconsin vs. Rutgers) or reset (Minnesota at Illinois) as conference play deepens.