[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ? It?s been the mantra for the Wisconsin men?s basketball team all season: live by the three, die by the three. Wednesday against Illinois, the Badgers made a living from beyond the arc. UW shot 7-of-14 on the game, just the second time it has shot better than 50 percent from three-point range.

Although the number of makes didn?t jump out, it was the shot selection and timeliness of the makes for UW that made a difference.

Marcus Landry, Jason Bohannon and Michael Flowers all made two from long-distance, while Trevon Hughes added another. Wisconsin was able to string together a number of threes in the first half ? including back-to-back makes by Flowers and Landry ? to extend its lead heading into halftime.

?At the beginning, they were very important,? Landry said of the 3-pointers. ?We try not to focus on 3-pointers ? but when they?re open, you?ve got to take them.?

Both of Bohannon?s came in the first half ? a half in which he scored 13 points and was perfect from the field. The sophomore guard has been battling an ankle injury during the past few games, but managed to shoot 4-of-7 and made all five of his free throws.

?It was a real big deal for us to be able to hit those shots and stretch the lead to how you want,? Bohannon said. ?It?s always a tough place to play in, and for us to get a lead like that down the stretch (and) not have to play a close game, that was a big step for us.?

?He hit them, he was open,? Ryan said of Bohannon. ?I didn?t tell him anything different about the game or how to play. He stared them down, knocked them down.?

Wisconsin began the second half firing from long distance, as threes by Landry and Flowers pushed the Badger lead to 42-28 just under four minutes into the half.

But perhaps the biggest three of the night came off the hands of Landry. After Illinois cut the lead to nine on a Demetri McCamey layup with under five minutes to play, Landry?s shot from behind the line halted the Illini run and silenced the crowd at Assembly Hall.

?You never want to let the other team get rolling because it brings the fans into it,? Landry said.

?We had some guys make some pretty tough plays,? Ryan said. ?But they wouldn?t let us escape much further than that 14, 12, 10 [point lead]. If it?s seven or eight with a couple of minutes to go, it?s anybody?s game.?

Jarmusz sees extended playing time

Before Wednesday at Illinois, freshman forward Tim Jarmusz hadn?t seen more than four minutes in a game, which happened against Florida A&M and Penn State.

Jarmusz equaled that total in the first half against the Illini and finished with 13 minutes in the game.

?Coach mentioned before the game, ?Don?t be surprised to find out you?re getting some minutes,?? Jarmusz said. ?Once he called my name, I was ready. He always tells me to be ready and prepared for the game, and that was exactly what I was trying to do.?

Although he didn?t record a point on the stat sheet, he did the little things that keyed Wisconsin?s victory. Several times on defense, Jarmusz stepped into the passing lane to disrupt looks by the Illini, one of which led to a fast break for UW. In his 13 minutes, he finished with two rebounds and a steal, missing the only shot he attempted.

?I was just trying to do the little things for the team,? Jarmusz said. ?I played some defense, tried to get some rebounds and just take care of the ball.

Early foul trouble led to Ryan?s decision to get Jarmusz off the bench and into the game. Joe Krabbenhoft and Bohannon both picked up two fouls midway through the first half, and instead of substituting in Jon Leuer, Ryan went with Jarmusz.

?I just thought that he could do a job when they went small, and we got some fouls on some of our smalls,? Ryan said. ?I haven?t lost any faith in Jon Leuer; it?s just he?s not a guarder, he?s not a defender on the quicker 3-point shooting guards. So that?s why I put Tim in before Jon