Champaign, IL – In a stunning upset, the Wisconsin Badgers defeated the No. 8 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini 92-90 in overtime Tuesday night at the State Farm Center, marking their first win in Champaign since 2019. The victory gives Wisconsin its second top-10 road win of the season.
The Badgers, now 17-7 overall and 9-4 in Big Ten play, overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to force overtime. Nick Boyd led all scorers with 25 points, while John Blackwell added 24 for Wisconsin. Boyd scored 20 of his points after halftime and finished with five assists, two steals and no turnovers.
Illinois, falling to 20-5 and 11-3 in conference play, was led by Keaton Wagler, who scored 34 points. Wagler played 44 minutes and recorded five turnovers.
Wisconsin’s comeback was fueled by a strong offensive performance and a significant advantage in shot attempts. The Badgers attempted 16 more shots than Illinois, capitalizing on 14 offensive rebounds and limiting turnovers to just three. They converted those opportunities into 23 points off of 13 Illinois turnovers.
Trailing by double digits in the second half, Wisconsin rallied with critical three-pointers from Austin Rapp, set up by Blackwell’s assists. Rapp’s late-game shooting helped either tie the score or put the Badgers ahead, ultimately sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, Braeden Carrington hit two free throws to extend Wisconsin’s lead to 91-87 with under 20 seconds remaining. Nolan Winter secured a crucial rebound with 14 seconds left, effectively sealing the victory for the Badgers.
Winter, despite scoring only four points, contributed significantly with 11 rebounds, including four offensive boards. Tomislav Ivisic added 9 rebounds for Wisconsin.
Wisconsin shot 43% from the field and 44% from three-point range, while Illinois shot 53% from the field and 45% from beyond the arc. The Badgers were 71% from the free throw line, compared to Illinois’ 58%.
The game was officiated by D.J. Carstensen, James Breeding, and Wil Howard.
Wisconsin will return to action on Saturday, February 14th, against Michigan State.
