MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Illinois’ high-powered offense was unstoppable down the stretch — shooting 61% from the field on 26 attempts and averaging a blazing 1.63 points per possession in the second half. It was déjà vu for the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team, as Marcus Domask went for 26 points (17 in second half) and dominated UW in isolation late.
Domask and Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player Terrence Shannon Jr. (34) finished the game with 60 of Illinois’ 93 points, including 36 of the team’s second half points.
Still, the Badgers were in it until the final minute, shooting 50% themselves and notching 1.47 points per possession behind 14 points, four rebounds and four assists in the second half from point guard Chucky Hepburn.
UW entered halftime down 41–39, but scored on each of their first 10 possessions to start the final frame and pushed the advantage in their favor by 10 points. But, the Fighting Illini answered with a quick 19–4 run to erase the deficit and put UW down five with 9:24 to play.
From there, Shannon and Domask would score 21 of the final 23 Fighting Illini points. At 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds, Domask plays a unique style for a guard, primarily scoring with his back to the basket.
“He’s a brute, he’s pretty strong,” guard Max Klesmit said of Domask. “He’s a good player, hit a couple tough shots today and you just gotta tip your cap to that sometimes.”
Despite having his hands full with Domask on defense, Klesmit knocked down three triples in the final 6:30, each coming at crucial times. His first brought UW to within two, before guard AJ Storr tied it up with free throws. His second, gave the Badgers its final lead with 3:53 on the clock, and his third tied the game up with less than two minutes to go.
But even with Klesmit’s flurry, the Badgers couldn’t keep up with the Fighting Illini’s high-powered offense.
Head coach Greg Gard threw a little wrinkle in the rotation Sunday, handing the backup four minutes to Carter Gilmore, likely rewarding him for an impressive performance against Purdue on Saturday.
Once again, Gilmore didn’t disappoint, tying his season high in points with seven — all in the first half. This included a pair of offensive rebounds and putbacks as part of 14 second chance points in the first half for UW.
Though the Badgers outpaced Illinois 25–16 in second chance points, the Fighting Illini’s offensive rebounds were incredibly timely, especially in the second half.
Storr finished with a team-high 24 points on the day, including 16 of the team’s first 40 points. But, he cooled off in the second half, shooting 2-for-8 from the field and 0-for-2 from long range. Storr also set the Badgers’ record for most points scored by an individual player in the Big Ten Tournament and was named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team.
Hepburn put together another masterful performance, scoring 20 or more points for a second straight game while dishing out five assists to just one turnover. Hepburn finished the tournament averaging 17.3 points per game and posting a 17:3 assist-to-turnover ratio. He was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team.
Steven Crowl finished with 11 points, five rebounds and five assists on the day, shooting 7-of-13 (53.8%) from 3-point land throughout the tournament.
“We’re a better team when I’m aggressive,” Crowl said. “Part of that is shooting those threes because I think I’m one of the better big man shooters in the country.”
They’re set to face 31-3 James Madison University in the No. 5 versus No. 12 seed matchup of the first round Friday at 8:40 p.m. CT in Brooklyn. James Madison won the Sun Belt Conference’s auto-bid and defeated Michigan State University earlier this season.
But, the Badgers aren’t anything but confident heading into the big dance, especially after their showing this weekend.
“We’re better today than we were at the start of the tournament,” Gard said. “Now, we get to go chase another championship.”
Gard’s confidence has trickled down into the locker room, as Wahl noted that the team is playing its best basketball at the right time.
They’ll have a tough path to Glendale, notably with the aforementioned James Madison University. If they win, the Badgers will likely face No. 4 seed Duke University and No. 1 seed University of Houston as a possible route just to reach the Elite 8. Despite this path, UW will certainly look to surprise more people after an incredible weekend in Minneapolis.
