Wisconsin

How John Blackwell’s game-winner happened, other takeaways from Wisconsin’s win

Published

2 months ago

January 14, 2026

Press Room

How John Blackwell’s game-winner happened, other takeaways from Wisconsin’s win

Braeden Carrington’s hot shooting against former school helps Badgers fend off Minnesota

John Blackwell hit a game-winning three-pointer to give Wisconsin a 78-75 victory over Minnesota.
Guard Braeden Carrington scored a career-high 21 points against his former team.
The Badgers had to “keep fighting” after again falling into a double-digit deficit.

MINNEAPOLIS – John Blackwell imagined the moment for a long time, going back to his childhood in the Detroit suburbs.

“I always think about it,” said Blackwell, who grew up as a fan of Jordan Poole and Michigan. “I was doing the runaway. I’m running away from my teammates, trying to see if they can catch me.”

All he was missing was hitting the game-winner. Well, that was until Jan. 13 when his Wisconsin Badgers were tied with Minnesota with 4.6 seconds remaining. That’s when he pulled up for a deep hesitation 3-pointer and hit it to clinch a thrilling 78-75 victory over the Gophers – and celebrate like how Poole famously did eight years earlier.

BOX SCORE: Wisconsin 78, Minnesota 75

“Go get the ball, keep your head up and go get a shot up,” Blackwell said, looking back at a lesson he learned at an early age. “So that’s what I did. And then I just went to my go-to move, hesi-three. And honestly, it looked good when it came off the hands.”

The game-winning buzzer-beater – the first for Wisconsin since Bronson Koenig’s shot in the second round of the 2016 NCAA tournament – capped off a roller-coaster win that included plenty of ups and downs for the Badgers. Here are three takeaways from the win:

Why Wisconsin (wisely) did not use a timeout before John Blackwell’s game-winner

Wisconsin walked away from Williams Arena with a win while leaving two timeouts on the table. Greg Gard said he did not plan on using one on the last play “as long as we have enough time and it felt like we were in motion,” and obviously Blackwell proved that 4.6 seconds was enough time.

“Obviously we always talk about trying to advance it and shoot it with your momentum toward the rim. So as long as I felt he had some space – which he did, he had the defense in retreat, had them backpedaling – [we could] put the ball in your really good player’s hands and let them make a decision.”

The resulting shot attempt from that, Gard said, is “going to be as good as any shot you’re going to get.”

“If I take a timeout with four seconds, five seconds to go, they’re going to set their defense,” Gard said. “Each situation is different. You just read and kind of get a feel for what the floor looks like when the ball does go in. And if you can catch them on a scattered floor, that’s typically the best way to attack in those situations.”

Gard indicated he was planning to use a timeout after Nolan Winter’s pair of free throws with about 12 seconds remaining. But Winter missed both free throws, keeping UW’s lead at three and voiding any opportunity to call a timeout.

“I thought we played in retreat too much,” Gard said.

Then Minnesota’s Cade Tyson hit the game-tying 3-pointer that Blackwell memorably turned into a moot point seconds later.

Braeden Carrington provided game-changing spark in homecoming

Wisconsin guard Braeden Carrington’s return to Williams Arena featured anything but a warm welcome.

The Minnesota fans in attendance at Williams Arena immediately booed the ex-Gopher guard when he first came off the bench at the 13:33 mark in the first half. The Minnesota crowd continued booing him throughout the game when he touched the ball.

“If you’re going to boo me, I got to talk back,” Carrington recalled telling friends who still are at Minnesota. “I can’t just let it happen.”

Carrington answered the Minnesota-cold reception with some hot shooting that led to a career-best performance and undoubtedly changed the dynamics of the game. His 21 points came on 7-of-12 3-point shooting, and he was only one 3-pointer short of tying the UW single-game record. He also had five rebounds.

Three of Carrington’s 3-pointers were part of a critical three-minute stretch that drastically changed the momentum of the game. Wisconsin went on a 14-0 run – with all 14 points coming from either Carrington or Blackwell – to turn a 57-52 deficit into a 66-57 lead.

“We shot some heat-check ones,” Blackwell said. “But I think when we get good looks like that, me and BC are confident shooters. … BC had it rolling. And it’s my job as the lead point guard out there when Nick [Boyd] was on the bench was to try to find him, and he stepped up and knocked the shots down.”

Wisconsin ‘had to keep fighting’ amid another double-digit deficit

Wisconsin’s win at Minnesota, Blackwell said, “never was going to be easy.”

“We just had to keep fighting,” Blackwell said.

That fight helped the Badgers come back to win after trailing double-digits for the second time in a four-day stretch. After overcoming a 14-point deficit against then-No. 1 Michigan on Jan. 10, UW found itself in an 11-point deficit early in the second half against Minnesota on Jan. 13.

The big deficit appeared to have a couple culprits. UW did not score at all in the last five minutes of the first half and had four turnovers in the last four minutes of the half.

Even more noticeably, Wisconsin’s defense was lacking as Minnesota capitalized on several easy looks from close range. The Gophers scored 22 of their 35 first-half points in the paint.

“We just took it on the chin and got better in the second half, and we shut off the things that they were getting so easy,” Blackwell said. “We stuck to the plan that coaches set for us and then trusted each other at the end.”

The Badgers’ second-half defense still was not perfect. In fact, Minnesota averaged more points per possession in the second half (1.290) than in the first (1.167) although more of those second-half points were either from the 3-point line or free-throw line.

“We haven’t been perfect by any stretch, but we have grown in our connectiveness and in our collective fight,” Gard said.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 19, 2026

Published

3 hours ago

March 20, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for March 19, 2026

The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 19, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 19 drawing

Midday: 5-7-6

Evening: 7-9-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 19 drawing

Midday: 0-7-4-3

Evening: 1-5-7-1

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning All or Nothing numbers from March 19 drawing

Midday: 01-05-06-08-10-13-15-17-18-19-21

Evening: 02-04-09-11-13-14-16-17-18-20-22

Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Badger 5 numbers from March 19 drawing

07-14-22-27-30

Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning SuperCash numbers from March 19 drawing

05-20-24-31-33-38, Doubler: N

Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.

Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?

No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.

When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.

That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **

WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Wisconsin

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Published

15 hours ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

Men’s Basketball

March 19, 2026

High Point vs. Wisconsin – First round NCAA tournament extended highlights

March 19, 2026

Watch the highlights from No. 12 High Point and No. 5 Wisconsin’s matchup in the first round of the 2026 men’s NCAA tournament.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

Published

1 day ago

March 19, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin lawmakers look to join the ranks of states allowing online sports betting

MADISON (AP) — As sports fans wager billions of dollars on the NCAA basketball tournaments, Wisconsin lawmakers are taking a shot at an expanded sports betting plan that could bank big bucks for the state in the future.

A measure given final approval Tuesday would let the state’s tribal gambling sites start offering online sports betting to people anywhere in Wisconsin. But the bill is contingent on the signature of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, which is no sure bet. And it wouldn’t take effect until after the state negotiates new deals with American Indian tribes who would run the sports betting — long after the current basketball tournaments wrap up.

Here’s how Wisconsin and other states are approaching sports betting:

Sports betting is booming in states

Legal sports betting has spread from one state — Nevada — to 39 states and Washington, D.C., since the U.S. Supreme Court opened the door in 2018. If Evers signs off on the expansion, Wisconsin would become the 32nd state to allow online sports wagering, which is how most people place bets.

Across the U.S., state-regulated sportsbooks handled nearly $167 billion of bets last year, generating revenues of nearly $17 billion after winnings were paid out to customers, according to the American Gaming Association. That marked an almost 23% increase over the previous year.

Gambling in Wisconsin goes through tribes

Gambling is legal in Wisconsin only on tribal lands under exclusive contracts between tribes and the state. Sports bets currently can be placed only at certain tribal casinos, and online sports betting is illegal.

Under the Wisconsin tribal compacts, a percentage of the money tribes earn through that gambling is returned to the state. In 2024, the tribes paid the state just over $66 million from revenue generated at casinos.

Wisconsin proposes to follow the Florida model

Under the Wisconsin legislation, online sports betting would be allowed only if the infrastructure to manage the bets, such as computer servers, is located on tribal lands in the state. That approach, known as the “hub-and-spoke” model, already is used in Florida.

Supporters of the measure include several Wisconsin tribes and the Milwaukee Brewers. They contend people currently are placing bets using offshore sportsbooks or prediction markets or crossing into other states where it’s legal, including neighboring Illinois.

Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said he opposes online gambling, but people are already doing it and “I would rather make sure that Wisconsinites have some sort of control over that.”

The legislation has drawn opposition from the Sports Betting Alliance, which represents FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM and Fanatics. They argue it wouldn’t make financial sense for them to partner with Wisconsin tribes, because federal law requires 60% of gambling revenues must go back to the tribes. They would prefer a state constitutional amendment opening sports betting to all operators.

“It is simply not economically feasible for a commercial operator to hand over 60% or more of its revenue to an in-state gaming entity, just for the right to operate in the state,” Sports Betting Alliance representative Damon Stewart said in submitted testimony opposing the bill.

Governor’s support is unclear

Wisconsin’s measure has divided Republicans since it was introduced last year. It took 12 Democrats joining with nine Republicans to pass the bill in the Senate. The Assembly, also controlled by Republicans, passed it on a voice vote without debate last month.

It now heads to Evers, who initially said he would sign it as long as it was passed in consultation with — and the support of — the state’s tribes. Evers has since raised concerns, noting last month that not all of the state’s 11 tribes are registered as in support. Evers’ spokesperson Britt Cudaback did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday.

Revenues from sports bets can take a while to start flowing

If Evers signs the legislation, Wisconsin residents may still have to wait to place bets through smartphones and computers. It often takes months to launch new sports betting programs.

North Carolina’s governor signed legislation in June 2023 to expand sports betting from three tribal casinos to online platforms. But online betting did not begin until March 2024.

Missouri voters narrowly approved sports wagering in November 2024. But it didn’t launch until last December. And the state has yet to reap a big windfall. Through the first two months, Missouri sportsbooks handled $928 million of bets, but that resulted in just $659,000 in state taxes.

Some states look to squeeze more out of sports bets

Since adopting sports betting, some states already have revamped their laws to try to take a bigger share of the money. Taxes have been raised or restructured in Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington, D.C. And Colorado and Virginia have pared back the tax deductions they originally allowed.

Illinois has taken multiple bites, most recently adding fees of 25-50 cents on every sports bet that gets placed. And Chicago began charging an additional 10.25% tax on sports betting revenues on Jan. 1.

Louisiana raised is sports betting taxes last year to help fund college athletics. The new law directs one-quarter of the tax revenue from online sports wagering to be split among public universities with Division I football programs and be used “for the benefit of student athletes.”

Collegiate prop bets face push back

Sports betting often involves more than just guessing which team will win. Some of the most popular bets focus on player performance, like how many points a particular athlete will score. Those proposition bets also have been at the center of recent scandals, with players alleged to have rigged their performance.

The NCAA in 2023 began encouraging states to adopt restrictions on bets involving college athletes. Since then, Louisiana, Maryland, Ohio and Vermont have joined the ranks of states banning individual prop bets on college athletes.

More than a dozen states place no limits on collegiate prop bets while nearly an equal number prohibit all such bets. Other states fall somewhere in between, including some that allow prop bets on collegiate athletes only for games that don’t involve their home-state schools.

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Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

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