The University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (17-7, 9-4 Big Ten) traveled to Champaign, Illinois, to face the No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini (20-5, 11-3) Tuesday.
Both teams entered the game off disappointing overtime losses over the weekend, with the Badgers falling to Indiana by one point and Illinois losing by three to snap its 12-game win streak. As a result, both teams were looking to start a new winning streak.
The Badgers competed from the opening tip, holding an early lead and staying within reach of Illinois throughout the first half. Wisconsin kept pace despite rough shooting in the half, going just 14-for-37 from the field and struggling to get stops defensively. What kept the Badgers in the game was their work on the offensive glass, grabbing nine offensive rebounds to Illinois’ three, limiting the halftime lead to three.
Wisconsin came out firing in the second half, taking the lead just over a minute in. Illinois responded quickly with a 17-3 run and led by as many as 12 points. As they’ve done recently, however, the Badgers continued to fight and made timely 3-pointers to pull back within striking distance late, led by senior Nick Boyd and junior John Blackwell.
Sophomore forward Austin Rapp also played a strong second half, scoring 12 points, including a 3-pointer that gave Wisconsin an 81-80 lead with under a minute to play. Illinois tied the game at 81 late to force overtime.
Boyd and Blackwell continued their heroics in overtime, scoring nine of the Badgers’ 11 points in the frame. Boyd finished with 25 and Blackwell added 24 as they led Wisconsin to a key road win against a top-10 team. Junior Nolan Winter also made a pivotal play in overtime, grabbing an offensive rebound off a Blackwell miss that led to two points, pushing the Badgers’ lead to four.
This was Wisconsin’s second victory over a top-10 team this season, the other coming Jan. 10 against Michigan. The Badgers won’t get a break from top-10 teams either, as No. 10 Michigan State visits Madison on Friday. A win against the Spartans would further establish the Badgers as one of the nation’s scariest teams with March Madness looming.
