MADISON, Wis. â After losing five of six, including several of the ugly or embarrassing variety, style points no longer should matter to the University of Wisconsin. Just find a way to get the job done and move on to the next one.
The Badgers accomplished that feat Tuesday, using a first-half surge to open a wide enough gap that they were able to hold despite a furious comeback attempt by Maryland in a 74-70 victory at the Kohl Center.
A Quad-2 victory that improved the Badgers record to 12-9 in Quad 1/2 games, making just one of four teams with that many victories in such games, Wisconsin (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) gets a week to rest before facing two road and two home games before the postseason, including a pair of games against top-15 teams.
Here are my takeaways from Wisconsin’s triumph.
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Max Klesmit (right) tries to tie up Maryland’s Julian Reese as Steven Crowl (22) reacts (Dan Sanger/BadgerBlitz)
Defense Delivers A Better Effort
Seeing a team that is second-to-last in the league in field goal percentage (39.8) shoot 50 percent in the second half and 46.2 percent for the game would lend itself to being another negative against Wisconsinâs on-again, off-again defensive effort.
However, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard and forwards Tyler Wahl and Steven Crowl agree that this was a solid defensive effort against a team that has had hard luck in one-possession games (1-6) and plays better than the one hovering around .500.
One of the lower-possession and slower-tempo teams in the league, the Badgers â mainly guard Chucky Hepburn – made all-conference point guard Jahmir Young work (20 points on 17 shots) and kept him off the three-point line (1-for-4), prevented center Julian Reece from taking over the glass (18 points, 7 rebounds) and drastically limit all the other options.
While the Terps shot 46.2 percent, including 50 percent in the second half, the Badgers held them to 1.07 points per possession.
A big part of Marylandâs offense is its ability to draw fouls. Maryland ranks No. 14 in the country at getting offense at the free-throw line per KenPom (42.3 percent ratio of free throw attempts to field goal attempts) and nearly 25 percent of its points have come from the free-throw line.
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UW held Maryland to 23 attempts, over half of which came in the final 5:30.
âWe did a pretty good job of playing clean but still playing physical,â Wahl said. âI think we did a really good job of playing team defense where we had guys in the gap, guys helping, and not over-rotating. That keeps us all on the same page, it keeps us from running around and giving up those open looks.â
It wasnât perfect. The Badgers gave up 34 points in the paint and the Terrapins went 14-for-21 on layups or dunks. Maryland also scored 14 points off its last seven possessions to prevent the Badgers from winning comfortably.
Wahl Surging at the Right Time
Wahl admitted it was hard to replicate Marylandâs physicality early, evidenced by Wisconsin having eight first-half turnovers, including three by him in the first eight-plus minutes. That didnât discourage him as much as motivate him to keep plugging away in the low post.
The result was Wahl posting 18 points, matching his third-highest total of the season, and adding six rebounds.
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In a decisive 10-0 run around the midpoint of the first half, Wahl scored six of the points. He also notched a steal and an assist to A.J. Storr on the fast break for a ferocious dunk in traffic. It wasnât nearly as pretty, but Wahl followed up Storrâs dunk with a right-handed hooked shot and a right-handed layup that counted the same. UW never gave back the lead.
Wahl scored in double figures for the 18th time this season and the 61st time of his career.
He may never admit it, but the loss of Kamari McGee and John Blackwell looked like it was starting to catch up to Max Klesmit. Having to play more minutes with the reserves out, Klesmitâs points per game dipped over the last three contests as heâs gone 5-for-27 from the field and 3-for-16 from the perimeter.
But with Blackwell back at full capacity Tuesday (and played tough with nine points (7-8 FTs), Klesmit found his rhythm offensively.
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Klesmitâs 16 points were the most since January 19 (the game McGee got hurt) and his clutch gene was in full effect. After Young crashed the rim and hit a layup to cut the lead to four, Klesmit took a high screen from Steven Crowl and buried a three-pointer with 56 seconds left to put UW up three possessions.
When the game became a whistle fest, Klesmit calming went 6-for-6 from the line over the final 36 seconds.
As a team, UW went 28-for-31 (90.3 percent), a season-high and the most made free throws since Jan.26, 2016.
âThe thing with Kles, you always know youâre going to get energy out of him,â Wahl said. âWhen heâs on the court, when heâs locked in and heâs ready to go, he brings a whole other dynamic to our team ⦠When he gets a few baskets to go in, then heâs a whole other problem for the team to worry about and it just opens up the court for us.â
Wisconsin has typically matched its No.4 with Maryland forward Donta Scott in past seasons, but the Terrapins had moved the fifth-year senior to the three with the addition of Indiana transfer Jordan Geronimo. Needing someone physical and mobile on Scott, the coaching staff gave that job to Klesmit.
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The result was Scott having two points on five shots in the first half and finishing with 12 before fouling out.
âScott tried to establish the post early, one of the first possessions and Max got a foul on him, but Max wasnât going to relent to post position,â Gard said. âYou need somebody pretty physical on him.â
By The Numbers
4 – Number of Big Ten games where Wisconsin had four starters in double figures (at Penn State, at Michigan, at Iowa).
18 – The Badgers out-rebounded Maryland, 33-24. UW has now tallied more boards in 18 of 27 games this season.
20 – UW has now hit double-digit Big Ten wins in 20 of the last 23 seasons. No other team can make that claim.
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22 – Scoring 10 points against Maryland, Storr has reached double figures in each of his last 22 games, the longest consecutive streak by a Badger since Ethan Happ tallied 42 straight games spanning the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Storr has scored 10+ in 25 out of 27 games this season.
56.7 – Wisconsin’s shooting percentage on two-point shots (17-for-30)
90.3 – UW’s 90.3 percent (28-for-31) at the line is the team’s highest FT percentage with at least 30 FTAs since going 28-for-31 against Indiana on Feb. 3, 2015.
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The state said the five recently traveled together to “a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak.”
Maryland health officials confirmed five more measles cases, all in Carroll County.
“These individuals recently traveled together to a location in the U.S. experiencing an active measles outbreak,” the state Department of Health said in a release.
The agency said others may have been exposed on the afternoon of July 13 in the emergency department waiting room at Carroll Hospital Center in Westminster.
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Another measles case recently prompted warnings from health officials in Maryland, Virginia and the District. On June 17, a Maryland resident traveled through Dulles International Airport and visited a D.C. urgent care clinic.
Measles is highly contagious. It can spread through the air through coughs, breathing, and sneezes. Early symptoms can include fevers of over 101 degrees, coughs, runny noses, watery eyes and face or body rashes.
It can take up to 21 days after exposure for the first symptoms to appear, and those who are not fully vaccinated or otherwise immune to measles are especially vulnerable.
The five new measles cases in Maryland bring the state’s year-to-date total to nine. The state health department confirmed three cases in 2025, and one in each of the previous two years.
“All Marylanders should review potential exposure times, watch for symptoms, and confirm they are up to date on their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccinations,” the health department said.
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Baltimore may be under an extreme heat alert, but residents can dream about autumn, as tickets are now on sale for the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show returning to the Maryland State Fairgrounds in October.
This three-day celebration of home and garden takes place from Friday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Expect hundreds of exhibitors, local makers, home improvement experts, family-friendly experiences and celebrity guests. The show offers everyone the chance to explore the very latest in home improvement, landscaping, outdoor living and decor, the chance to take part in hands-on experiences, and do some holiday shopping all under one roof.
This year’s show will have more than 300 exhibitors, including more than 100 crafters from around Maryland in the Makers Market. There will be unique exhibits, stage presentations and a special appearance by Chase Morrill, Ashley Morrill-Eldridge and Ryan Eldridge from Magnolia Network’s hit series “Maine Cabin Masters.” The three will have two Main Stage appearances, one on Friday, Oct. 16 at 4 p.m. and the second on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 12 p.m.
“As temperatures start to drop and the holiday season comes into view, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show is a place to gather ideas, meet local experts and get inspired before the busy season begins,” said Dave Paul, show manager, in a statement. “Whether attendees are planning a home project, looking for outdoor living ideas or getting a head start on holiday shopping, the show brings together resources and experiences for every kind of homeowner, maker and DIY enthusiast.”
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In addition to the Makers Market and stars of “Maine Cabin Masters”, the Maryland Fall Home & Garden + Craft Show will have a petting zoo, a Kids Market where attendees can shop from local children, and much more.
Tickets are available online and at the door. Prices are as follows:
Online:
Adults: $8
Senior Citizens (60+): $6
Children (ages 6-12): $4
4-Pack Online: $30 for four tickets, valid for one admission each and one day only
At the door:
Adults: $10
Senior Citizens (60+): $8
Children (ages 6-12): $4
Friday & Saturday: $4 after 4 p.m. at the door only
Special Offers:
Active and retired military personnel, veterans, firefighters and police officers receive free admission all weekend, along with one guest, with valid ID at the box office.
Attendees who show a CharmPass app, Light RailLink ticket or eligible transit pass at the box office receive free admission any day of the show. One admission is available per pass.
The Maryland State Fairgrounds is located at 2200 York Road in Lutherville-Timonium.
Law enforcement agencies are accustomed to dealing with cat burglars – but now a Maryland police department is saying it grappled with a cat-wielding bank robber.
The Prince George’s county police department said its officers arrested a man suspected of stealing a cat and then taking the animal with him to a PNC bank branch in the local community of Beltsville to rob the establishment on Monday morning.
Emily Mullen, a Pet Supplies Plus employee, holds Magnolia. Photograph: Beltsville Community Cats
“The cat was returned” after the suspect was arrested, the police department said in a statement to the Guardian on Tuesday. The agency said no injuries were reported, and it declined to name the suspect or release additional details, saying the case – bound for a spot in the annals of bizarre reported US crimes – remained under investigation.
Nonetheless, a social media post from rescue shelter Beltsville Community Cats provided more information.
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A Beltsville Community Cats Facebook page post on Monday identified the cat at the center of the alleged botched caper as Magnolia, a three-and-a-half-month-old tuxedo kitten. The shelter recounted how the suspect first snatched Magnolia from her “adoption habitat” at Beltsville’s Pet Supplies Plus store, took her across the parking lot to a PNC branch, and “tried to use her as an accessory in [an] attempted robbery”.
“He asked the bank manager to hold the kitten while he wrote a note, then handed the note to a teller demanding all the cash,” the post continued. “Thankfully, the robbery was unsuccessful, the suspect was arrested, and Magnolia was found safe and sound in the bank manager’s office, where the two had bonded over their shared ordeal.”
Pet Supplies Plus store employees told the NBC affiliate in nearby Washington DC that Magnolia’s cat napper had come in daily for about two weeks and focused on the kitten each time.
Finally, on Monday, he managed to use a key to open a cat adoption area and whisked Magnolia away, store employees said to the outlet, WRC.
Store manager Aaron Kurkowski told WRC that Magnolia’s thief “came in and saw none of my team was nearby the front – and he just went right to her and ran right on out”.
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According to WRC, Stephanie Stullich of Beltsville Community Cats then received a call from a pet store employee who alerted her to Magnolia’s plight.
Magnolia, our sweet 3.5-month-old tuxedo kitten, had quite the adventure today after being stolen from her adoption habitat at Pet Supplies Plus in Beltsville. Photograph: Beltsville Community Cats
That prompted Stullich to run over to the store, where she said to WRC that she “immediately saw all of these police cars and … thought, ‘Wow, that’s a heck of a response for a stolen cat’.”
“But then I realized they all were going down to the bank,” Stullich recalled to WRC. “They came back out a few minutes later and said, ‘Yes, there is a cat inside the bank.’”
Two days before her catnapping, Magnolia was the subject of a Beltsville Community Cats Facebook post inviting people to see her at Pet Supplies Plus and consider adopting her.
Magnolia as of Monday was still waiting to be adopted, Beltsville Community Cats said in its post detailing the bank robbery.
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The non-profit organization offered members of the public the opportunity to apply to adopt Magnolia by emailing rescue@beltsvillecats.net.
Beltsville Community Cats’ post also joked that Magnolia’s “brief ‘life of crime’ is behind her” – except for undoubtedly “stealing” hearts, treats, toys and cuddles wherever her forever home may be.
