Badger set record for most points at the Kohl Center, beat Arkansas State in season opener
Wisconsin opened the season with its best offensive performance in the history of the Kohl Center, beating Arkansas State 105-76 on Monday night.
The Badgers got off to a hot start thanks to AJ Storr. The St. John’s transfer started out 4-for-5 from the field, scoring nine of the team’s first 16 to help Wisconsin build an early double-digit lead. He would end up with 15 points before passing the torch to Chucky Hepburn, who got hot in the second half. He scored 14 of his 20 points after the break, while adding six assists and three steals.
In addition to Storr and Hepburn, two other Badgers scored in double figures, with senior Max Klesmit going for 14 points and freshman John Blackwell scoring 12.
Wisconsin didn’t make a 3-pointer in the first half but still put up 56 points on its way to a 16-point lead. For the game, the Badgers shot 65%, the fourth-best mark in school history. That number was helped by Wisconsin’s domination in the paint, where the team scored 56 points. They were also opportunistic, forcing 17 turnovers and turning those into 24 points.
The Badgers didn’t come out of the game unscathed, though, as they lost sophomore Connor Essegian to an upper body injury in the first half. He had four points before leaving.
The win moved Wisconsin to 25-1 in season openers at the Kohl Center. Things will get more difficult this Friday when No. 9 Tennessee comes to Madison.