CHAMPAIGN, Ill.—If there was ever a time to end Illinois' dominance of the Badgers at Assembly Hall, it was Saturday.
The No. 2 UW men's basketball team (5-0 Big Ten, 19-1 overall) won its 15th consecutive game as it overcame a late run by Illinois (2-4, 14-7) and won 71-64, marking the first time in 10 years Wisconsin has won in Champaign.
Wisconsin led by eight points with 9:42 remaining, but the Illini, who received a much-needed emotional boost from the 16,618 in attendance, battled back to take a three-point lead with 5:07 left on the clock. UW head coach Bo Ryan called timeout and from there the Badgers finished like a top-five team playing on the road as they held Illinois to only one field goal the rest of the way en route to a 14-4 run.
""At the end of games we have played so well-focused. That's what makes us so different this year,"" senior forward Alando Tucker (17 points) said after the win.
After Illinois senior guard Rich McBride hit a 3-pointer to put the Illini up 60-57, UW took advantage of the attention given to Tucker. Instead of looking for his own points, Tucker used the double teams to find open teammates and senior guard Kammron Taylor, junior center Greg Stiemsma and sophomore forward Marcus Landry took care of the scoring.
""Those last four or five possessions for us were pretty good possessions because [Tucker] is a team player and he realized, ‘Well hey, if I'm getting this much attention other guys are open,'"" Ryan said.
Stiemsma, who received a career-high 21 minutes with Landry and senior forward Jason Chappell in foul trouble, scored 12 points off the bench. The junior had only played 19 minutes in the previous four games but was not shy about shooting as he hit 5-of-6 jumpers and added two late free throws to aid the 14-4 run in the last five minutes.
Wisconsin held a 63-62 lead with 1:35 left and Tucker was insistent on beating Illinois for the first time since his freshman year. UI sophomore guard Chester Frazier missed a jumper and Tucker pulled in the first of three rebounds he would grab in the final 95 seconds. Wisconsin held the ball to milk the clock and Illinois junior forward Brian Randle blocked Taylor's 3-point attempt sending both teams into a near brawl for the loose ball. It was the resilient Tucker who eventually controlled it despite being undercut in mid-air. The senior found Taylor for a 15-foot jumper to put UW up by three.
""We got some big rebounds,"" Taylor said. ""Tuck got two big rebounds down the stretch ... and that just shows how much he wants to win.""
Still, Illinois was only down 65-63 after a McBride free throw with 51 seconds remaining, but Landry had the ball. The sophomore drove to the lane and converted a bucket in the paint, but was called for a charge. The referees said the contact occurred after he let go of the ball, however, leaving Illinois to accept the rare offensive foul where the basket counts.
After Randle hit only one of two free throws and Tucker pulled down another rebound, Illinois had no choice but to foul and UW went 4-for-4 at the line the rest of the way to secure the 71-64 win.
""I'm at a loss of words,"" Taylor, who finished with a game-high 20 points said. ""Wisconsin hasn't won here in 10 years and to be a part of the team that finally came down here and got that win, it's definitely satisfying.""
UW will face Michigan (4-1 Big Ten, 16-4 overall) Wednesday at the Kohl Center at 8 p.m.
