Wisconsin Completes Comeback, Defeats Illinois in Overtime Thriller
– In a back-and-forth contest that went down to the wire, the Wisconsin Badgers secured a 92-90 overtime victory against the No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. The Badgers overcame a 12-point deficit with eight minutes remaining in regulation to stun the Illini, handing them their second consecutive overtime loss.
Nick Boyd led Wisconsin with 25 points, while John Blackwell added 24. The duo combined for nine of the Badgers’ 11 points in the extra period, proving crucial in securing the win. Austin Rapp contributed 18 points, including key three-pointers that fueled Wisconsin’s comeback.
The Badgers (17-7, 9-4 Big Ten) trailed by as many as 12 points late in the second half, but two clutch three-pointers from Rapp in the final two minutes of regulation forced the game into overtime. Nolan Winter, who had a career-high 26 points in a previous overtime loss at Indiana, added 11 rebounds in this contest.
Illinois (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) was led by Keaton Wagler, who poured in a game-high 34 points. Tomislav Ivisic added 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Illini, while David Mirkovic and Jake Davis chipped in with 12 and 11 points respectively. Ben Humrichous also reached double figures with 10 points.
The Illini played without two key starters, Kylan Boswell (hand injury) and Andrej Stojakovic (ankle injury), which reportedly impacted their performance. Ivisic notably played almost the entire game wearing a No. 52 jersey after his No. 13 jersey was ripped early in the contest.
Despite entering the game as one of the nation’s top free-throw shooting teams, Illinois struggled from the line, shooting just 11 of 19. They also recorded a season-low eight offensive rebounds and a Big Ten season-high 13 turnovers.
Both teams showcased their three-point shooting prowess, combining for 69 attempts from beyond the arc. Wisconsin connected on 16 of 36 three-pointers, while Illinois made 15 of 33.
Illinois had built a halftime lead of 44-38, rallying from an early eight-point deficit. However, Wisconsin’s resilience and clutch shooting in the second half and overtime proved to be the difference.
Wisconsin will next face Michigan State at home on night. Illinois will return to action on against Indiana, also at home.
This victory marks another upset for the Badgers against a top-10 opponent on the road, following their earlier win at then-No. 1 Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Badgers demonstrated their ability to overcome adversity and secure crucial wins against strong competition.
