by MADISON, Wis. — Frank Kaminsky scored 23 points and No. 5 Wisconsin’s athletic frontcourt overwhelmed Indiana in a 92-78 win on Tuesday night.
Kaminsky was 9 of 12 from the field for the Badgers (20-2, 8-1 Big Ten). Nigel Hayes added 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting.
Guard Bronson Koenig (Ho-Chunk Nation) provided balance from the outside with 15 points, going 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
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An eight-point halftime deficit turned into a 30-point deficit with 10 minutes left after Indiana (16-7, 6-4) opened the second half by shooting 2 of 11 from the field.
The Hoosiers also played without leading scorer James Blackmon Jr., who had an apparent ankle injury.
Nick Zeisloft led Indiana with 17 points.
A stretch of 5-of-6 shooting on 3s late in the second half made the deficit more respectable for the Hoosiers.
They just didn’t have an answer for Wisconsin’s big men all night long.
The third Wisconsin starter up front, Sam Dekker finished with 14 points and shot 5 of 7 from the field. The Badgers continually took advantage of Indiana defenders overplaying entry passes, allowing clear paths to the bucket.
A Kaminsky dunk with 16:40 left started one stretch in the second half that was indicative of Indiana’s frustrating night.
The Hoosiers, trying to play up-tempo, lost the ball on the other end for one of their 11 turnovers.
Dekker then answered with a dunk and 3-point play to make it 55-36 with about 16 minutes left.
Reserve guard Zak Showalter added a season-high nine points, entertaining a crowd that braved a snowstorm with 3-point plays on tough transition layups during back-to-back possessions in the second half.
The biggest surprise of the night might have come when Kaminsky missed a two-handed dunk with about 2 minutes left.
Robert Johnson had 16 points for the Hoosiers, while Troy Williams added 14 points and seven rebounds.
