Carter Gilmore sparks Wisconsin basketball road win over Northwestern
The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team got a career best performance from senior forward Carter Gilmore en route to a win on the road at Northwestern.
The Wisconsin Badgers basketball team nearly let one slip away on the road, but an unexpected offensive spark helped them avoid disaster.
Behind a career-high 15 points from senior forward Carter Gilmore, Greg Gard and company held off the Northwestern Wildcats 75-69 on Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois.
"Enshrined as Carter Gilmore day, February 1," Gard said after the game. "Carter Gilmore, what a great example of why someone is a Wisconsin Badger. All you locals know his story, from walk-on to today. He's come the long, hard way, and really proud of him that he's persevered and continued to stay with it. When that happens, good things happen to people who really work hard and stay the course.
“Today was obviously his day. It was big."
John Tonje led the charge with 27 points on 8-of-18 shooting, knocking down 5-of-11 from three, but it was Gilmore’s timely contributions that helped give Wisconsin the push it needed to secure the win.
Wisconsin found itself in trouble, trailing 46-38 with 15:33 left, struggling to find a rhythm offensively. But Gilmore answered the call.
The in-state product drilled back-to-back threes, then followed it up with a lay-in off a Tonje assist before finishing a putback in transition to fuel a 14-4 run. That surge ultimately turned an eight-point deficit into a two-point lead with 9:22 remaining, giving Wisconsin the lead for good.
“I mean, it makes all the hard work and all the haters and all those comments worth it for sure,” Gilmore said postgame.
“Just to see the amount of love that you really have, that's why I play, and I'm a true Wisconsin Badger. All I want to do is make the fans happy, so I was lucky and glad that I could do that today for sure.”
All 15 of Gilmore’s points came in the second half, and he made a career-high three shots from beyond the arc, finishing with seven rebounds and an assist, in addition to a +11 plus/minus rating in 24 minutes off the Badgers bench.
In his 121st career game, Gilmore finally broke into double figures for the first time, making his career night in front of friends and family even more special.
It’s been a remarkable developmental leap for Gilmore, who entered the season shooting 16.4% from three (9-for-55) in his first four seasons. This year, he's 12-for-30 from deep (40%), 50% from the field (28-for-56), and 80% from the free-throw line (8-for-10). He's also improved his PRPG to a career-high 1.1, according to Bartorvik—up from 0.6 during the 2023-24 season.
The journey from walk-on to impact player hasn’t been an easy one for Gilmore, but the work he’s put in since arriving from Arrowhead High School speaks for itself. He’s gone from a defensive specialist who could give you a few minutes in a pinch to a key rotational piece and top frontcourt reserve on an NCAA Tournament-caliber team.
"To see him kind of have a moment like he had today was everything and then some," senior guard Max Klesmit said. "It's his fifth year. His opportunities before in years previous have been a little limited, but it never changed his work ethic or how he went about things.
“But the thing about Gilly is he's always positive, he's always level-headed, comes from a really good family. So, you know, seeing him have one of those games where you kind of just break through the ceiling, it was awesome. Everybody was so happy for him—coaches, managers, all of us teammates. It was a lot of fun."
While Gilmore's offensive game continues to evolve, the 6-foot-7 forward remains grounded in what he does best—setting the tone on defense and taking what the opposing team gives him on offense.
“I think first and foremost, my main goal every day is to do my job on the defensive end,” Gilmore said. “I know that's where I hang my hat, and that's something I can control—the energy and effort I put into the defensive end.
"After that, my role on offense has grown as well. Whatever the defense gives me, I know I’m capable of taking—whether that's shooting, passing, or offensive rebounding. I know I can do a little bit of everything. That’s the player I am. I hang my hat on defense and then let the offensive side come."
Gilmore’s breakout performance also sparked plenty of reaction from teammates and Badgers greats alike:
John Blackwell kept it simple, shouting out his teammate with, "Gillyyy jamesss."
Daniel Freitag took it a step further, quipping that "Carter Gilmore statue or we riot."
Meanwhile, former Badgers guard Brad Davison expressed his admiration for Gilmore’s perseverance.
"Where do we start the Carter Gilmore statue petition?! Definition of sticking with it and persevering through an entire career,” Davison wrote on X.
“Rare breed!! Worthy to be celebrated and deserving of the success! Thankful he is a Badger!"
With the win, Wisconsin improves to 17-5 overall on the season and 7-4 in Big Ten play. The Badgers return home Tuesday night for just its second game at the Kohl Center since Jan. 14, hosting the Indiana Hoosiers at 8 p.m. CT on Peacock.
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