Eian Elmer scored 18 points and Braeden Carrington added 15 to lead revamped Wisconsin to a 75-68 victory over stubborn Denver on Monday in the nonconference season opener for both teams in Madison, Wis.
Denver, which trailed by 17 early in the second half, rallied with a 12-1 run, pulling within 56-52 on Carson Johnson’s jumper with just over nine minutes remaining.
Wisconsin boosted the lead back to 65-54 on Austin Rapp’s baseline drive with 5:40 left.
Wisconsin has eight new players from the team that finished 24-11 last season, but the fifth-seeded Badgers were upset by No. 12 seed High Point, 83-82, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Elmer, who transferred after helping Miami (Ohio) to a 31-0 regular-season record last season, hit 7 of 13 shots in his debut. Point guard Owen Foxwell, who played the last five seasons in the Australian National Basketball League, had 14 points and seven assists.
Top returner Nolan Winter, a 7-foot senior forward who was a preseason all-Big Ten pick, had just six points on 3-of-10 shooting, but pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.
Johnson, the Summit League Player of the Year last season, led the Pioneers with 27 points.
The Badgers gained separation with a 13-0 run late in the first half, going in front 44-28 on Foxwell’s 3-pointer with 41 seconds remaining.
Denver went without a field goal over the final five minutes, getting two free throws from Oskar Wickstrom Stumer to make it 44-30 at the half.
The Pioneers scored the first four points after the break, but Wisconsin responded with a 7-0 run, pushing the lead to 51-34 on Foxwell’s lay-in.
Denver, which has 12 new players on its roster, moved this season to the West Coast Conference after finishing in a three-way tie for fourth in the Summit League.