Nick Boyd scores 32 points and Wisconsin beats Rutgers 96-87 for 4th straight victory

Nick Boyd scored 32 points and had nine assists as Wisconsin beat Rutgers 96-87 on Saturday for its fourth straight win.

The Associated Press
January 17, 2026 at 11:16PM

MADISON, Wis. — Nick Boyd scored 32 points and had nine assists as Wisconsin beat Rutgers 96-87 on Saturday for its fourth straight win.

Boyd was 8-of-16 from the floor and 14 of 15 at the line to finish four points shy of his career high set against Providence in November. John Blackwell added 19 points and Nolan Winter had 18 for the Badgers (13-5, 5-2 Big Ten), whose win streak includes a 91-88 win at then-No. 2 Michigan and a last-second 78-75 road victory over Minnesota in their last game.

Harun Zrno scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, Jamichael Davis added 14 and Tariq Francis had 12 for the Scarlet Knights (9-9, 2-5).

Consecutive 3s by Braeden Carrington, Winter and Jack Janicki gave Wisconsin its largest lead of 26 with under 14 minutes remaining. Francis led Rutgers back with nine unanswered points, and a few minutes later Zrno and Buchanan connected for consecutive 3s to start a 15-4 run that got the Knights within seven with five minutes to go.

Boyd converted a three-point play and added two free throws in a 7-0 run to put the Badgers back up by 14 with three minutes remaining and the lead remained in double figures.

Boyd scored 15 points and Winter added 11 in the first half, as Wisconsin shot 53% and made 8 of 15 3-point attempts to take a 51-29 lead.

Both teams shot 48% and both made 12 of 30 3-point attempts. Wisconsin took 10 more free throws and made 26 of 29 and outscored the Knights 19-4 off turnovers.

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Rutgers is at Iowa on Tuesday.

Wisconsin is at Penn State on Thursday.

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