Reggie Jackson, fresh off his 21-point performance against Texas A&M, remained red-hot in the first half against Wisconsin, scoring a game-high 10 points as Boston College took a 29-26 lead over the Badgers into halftime in the semifinal round of the Old Spice Classic at HP Field House in Kissimmee, Florida.
The Badgers opened the game on a 6-2 run, but Jackson, who scored five of his team's first 10 points, led the Eagles on an 8-4 run to take a 10-6 lead. Both teams traded buckets over the next several minutes, and Wisconsin was able to take a 15-12 lead midway through the first half.
But once again, Boston College found its stroke, scoring 10 straight points to take a 22-15 lead with 6:19 remaining in the first half.
Nevertheless, Wisconsin battled back to tie the score at 26 with a minute remaining before the break. However, Josh Southern grabbed a Biko Paris missed layup, put it back and got the foul with 6.9 ticks before the half.
Southern made the free throw and the Badgers missed a three that would have tied the game to preserve Boston College's 29-26 halftime lead.
Joe Trapani finished the first half with six points for Boston College. Southern added five points, Dallas Elmore and John Cahill each had three points and Biko Paris scored two for the Eagles.
Jon Leuer, who had 16 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in the Badgers' win over Manhattan in the first round of the Old Spice Classic, had eight points at halftime. Jordan Taylor added eight points, Rob Wilson had six points and both John Gasser and Keaton Nankivil scored two points in the first half.
Boston College made 11-of-25 shots (44%) and 5-of-14 three pointers (35.7%) while Wisconsin connected on 11-of-29 field goals (37.9%) and only 1-of-10 shots from beyond the arc in the first half.