After two controversial calls led to Wisconsin’s gut-wrenching defeat against Indiana last Saturday, Badger morale was low heading into a consequential week. When the Badgers trailed Illinois by 12 with just over eight minutes left Tuesday night, salt was seeping into the wound.
Yet, in miraculous fashion, Nick Boyd, John Blackwell and Austin Rapp mounted a late rally to force overtime against the Fighting Illini. From there, the Badgers (17-7, 9-4 Big Ten) pulled out another win on the road over an AP top-10 team, stunning the crowd in Champaign and defeating the No. 8 Illini 92-90.
Boyd led the way with 25 points, scoring 19 in the second half and overtime and making eight of his final 10 shots. It was Boyd’s 15th game scoring 20+ points, bringing his season average to 20.2 points per game.The last Badger to average 20 points per game for a season was Michael Finley (1994-95).
The Badgers jumped out to an early eight-point lead nearly six minutes into the game, before a quick 11-2 run from Illinois got the Illini back in it. Wisconsin’s offense went radio silent after the opening push, going 4-for-20 from the field over 12 minutes.
Tomisla Ivicic dominated early, scoring 17 of his 19 points in the first half. He drained three of Illinois’s eight first-half 3s, finishing the game 8-for-13 from the field. Still, Wisconsin stayed alive the rest of the period, not letting the game get out of hand. They trailed by just six going into the break.
Head coach Greg Gard refused to let his team come out flat after the half. Blackwell and Aleksas Bieliauskas hit 3-pointers, initiating an 8-0 start to the second half, but Illinois answered right back with an 18-7 run of their own over a seven and a half minute stretch. Freshman phenom Keaton Wagler scored 11 of the 18 points, extending Illinois’ lead to a game-high 12 with 8:10 remaining. He finished with 34 points, leading all scorers.
Down the stretch, the Badgers did not back down, reminiscent of their relentlessness against Michigan in January. Boyd, Blackwell and Rapp combined to score all of the Badgers' final 22 points, ending the game on a 22-10 run en route to another overtime contest. Blackwell finished with 24, and Rapp tallied 18 off the bench, including four 3-pointers.
In the extra period, the Badgers exploded for eight-straight points, six of which came from Boyd, who was unstoppable at the rim. Illinois immediately responded with a 6-0 run of their own to cut Wisconsin’s lead to two.
With a chance to close out the game, Blackwell missed a jumper, but Nolan Winter hustled for the offensive rebound and called a timeout. Despite a tough shooting night (2-for-8), Winter came up with the biggest play of the game. The extra possession got Braeden Carrington to the line for two clutch free throws, giving Wisconsin a 91-87 lead.
Illinois’s Ben Humrichous drained a near-impossible corner 3 on the next possession, re-igniting the crowd and bringing the Illini within one point. Blackwell, attempting his first free throws of the night, missed the second, allowing Wagler to attempt a game-winning, one-legged 3. The shot fell short, and the Badgers escaped with the win.
3-point shooting and overall efficient offense headlined the upset. Wisconsin converted on 16 of their 36 deep balls and turned the ball over just four times (once in the second half/OT). Illinois also struggled from the free-throw line, going just 11-for-19 (58%). They shot 79% from the line entering the game.
Wisconsin is now 10-0 when they score 90+ points. They reached that mark just four times all of last season. The trend has continued all season, proving shooting efficiency is the largest factor going forward.
Boyd tied John Tonje (2024-25), Jordan Taylor (2010-11) and Alando Tucker (2005-06) for the third-most 20+ point games in a season (15). He trails only Johnny Davis (16), Frank Kaminsky (17) and Tucker (19).
The win gave Greg Gard his 17th victory over a top-10 opponent in his tenure at Wisconsin. Despite an electric, wig-themed postgame, the celebration must be brief. No. 10 Michigan State comes to town for a pivotal Friday night contest. Tip is set for 7 p.m. at the Kohl Center.
