No. 24 Wisconsin handles USC in seventh straight win

John Blackwell scored a game-high 28 points to lead No. 24 Wisconsin to an 84-69 win over USC in Los Angeles on Saturday in a Big Ten contest.Max Klesmit scored 18 points and Nolan Winter added 13 points for Wisconsin (15-3, 5-2), which has won seven straight following a three-game skid.The Badgers were only 8 of 29 from 3-point range (32.1 percent) but went 22 of 27 (81.4 percent) on 2-pointers and 13 of 15 from the free-throw line.Saint Thomas scored 19 points, Rashaun Agee chipped in 15 and Wesley Yates added 11 for USC (11-6, 3-4), which had won two straight.The Trojans turned the ball over 16 times, shot 49.1 percent from the field overall (26 of 53) and 40 percent (6 of 15) from 3-point range.Wisconsin held a 19-point lead in the second half, but USC whittled its deficit to three at 55-52 with 10:44 remaining following a three-point play by Desmond Claude.The Badgers answered, going on an 8-2 run to take a 63-54 lead with 8:14 left. Wisconsin continued to rebuild its big lead, going up 70-57 following a 3-pointer by Kamari McGee and a basket by Blackwell with 6:13 remaining.