Using a second-half run of near-epic proportions, the Wisconsin Badgers (12-3) improved their Big Ten record to 3-1 while extending their Kohl Center winning streak to 23 games Wednesday night.

The 74-63 victory over Michigan (10-5, 1-3) keeps Wisconsin in a tie for first place in the conference with Purdue, Indiana and Michigan State.

In a game where Devin Harris was ineffective and spent a majority of his minutes on the bench, junior sharpshooter Clayton Hanson and sophomore Boo Wade combined to fill the void.

Hanson provided the Badgers with the spark they needed entering the game with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half. On his first touch, Hansen hit an open jumper, cutting the Michigan lead to 27-24. He then answered a Bernard Robinson 3-pointer to hold the lead at three, hit his second 3-pointer to bring UW closer at 32-30 and then sent the Badgers into the locker room with a 35-34 lead after hitting his third shot from behind the arch.

?I thought the young man Hanson certainly was a big shot in the arm for their team and certainly did a lot of damage to our team,? Michigan head coach Tommy Amaker said.

While Wade shot just 1-5 from the floor, it was his dribble penetration and passing skills that helped earn a Badger victory. Notching a career-high seven assists, the Milwaukee native added a dangerous passing dimension to his game in Harris? absence.

?Our rule is when we drive we drop the ball to the floor,? UW head coach Bo Ryan said. ?Boo?s first pass hits Mike [Wilkinson] in the knee, because he didn?t drop it to the floor, and then you saw the pass he gave Dave Mader; I mean, that?s a clinic. Driving, dishing, dropping it to the floor, Dave picks it up, two easy points, so Boo learned on the fly.?

The Wolverines were able to take an early 14-12 lead with 15:03 remaining in the first half when Bernard Robinson scored two of his team-high 13 points. Behind the bench play of Dion Harris, Michigan extended its lead to five with 7:05 remaining in the half before Clayton Hanson entered for UW.

?I thought we were right there, we battled, and we competed, and the dam broke, and we couldn?t make some shots,? Amaker said.

Coming out of halftime, both teams appeared offensively stagnant, as Wisconsin nailed three-straight free throws to tie the game at 43 seven minutes in. Using a balanced attack in which Boo Wade led with 8 second-half points, the Badgers turned their 3-point deficit into an 18-point lead in a span of just over 10 minutes. The 23-5 run was punctuated by Hanson?s career-high fifth 3-pointer.

?We made a bunch of easy shots in the first half and some easy ones to start the second half, and we made a commitment to ourselves that we were going to try to make them take tougher shots,? Wilkinson said. ?When we went on the run, they didn?t get as many good looks inside, there were more jump shots with a hand in their face?

As the Badgers? second-leading scorer, Hanson was able to settle into the half-court offensive set-up UW was utilizing, and his career-high 17 points led the Badgers to victory.

?If he comes out and does this well next game, we might have to take him out to eat,? Wilkinson said of Hanson?s performance. ?It?s great to see someone come off the bench like that and knock down shots like he did; I mean he was just on fire.

While Hanson may have been on fire late in the first half, it was Wilkinson who did much of the damage early on. Scoring 14 of the Badgers? first 20 points, Wilkinson was able to maneuver in the paint with ease as UW staked claim to a quick lead. Coupled with the calm shooting touch of Zach Morley, the Badgers didn?t get a third scorer onto the scorer?s sheet until Andreas Helmigk hit a jump shot with 8:45 remaining in the opening stanza.

For the Badgers, the victory established even more dimensions to their swing offense with the passing ability of Boo Wade and the bench performance of Clayton Hanson while improving their conference home record to 19-0 under coach Ryan and an impressive 10-0 after road losses.

?We got some good looks early, and they were fortunate enough to fall down …? Wilkinson said of UW?s overall performance. ?Then Clay came in and knocked down some shots from the outside, so I mean as long as we win it doesn?t matter who scores on this team, it doesn?t matter who does anything as long as we get the job done, and that?s probably the biggest reason we are where we are.?