The No. 11 Badgers men’s basketball team put on a show at the Kohl Center, cruising to a 95-74 victory over struggling Illinois. The win marked Wisconsin’s seventh straight game where they’ve reached 90 points, a feat last seen in 1995.
Key to the Badgers’ success was senior guard John Tonje, who hit nine of 15 shots from the field and 3 for 5 from three-point range. What made his performance stand out, however, was the timing of his buckets. With Illinois needing just one stop to potentially rally back within five or single digits on multiple occasions, Tonje delivered each time.
The Badgers’ dominance on the glass also played a crucial role in the win. After struggling in their first meeting, Wisconsin owned a 17-6 edge after 12 minutes and eventually expanded that lead to double-digits as Illinois started to struggle with its own rebounding.
Most impressively, however, was the Badgers’ ability to clean up turnovers, particularly in the second half. With just two turnovers in the final 20 minutes of play, Wisconsin showed significant improvement in this area after struggling at halftime against Purdue a week earlier.
The win moves Wisconsin (21-5, 11-4) into third place in the Big Ten and gives them a Quad 1 win in their NCAA Tournament résumé.
Source: https://eu.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/uw/2025/02/18/no-11-wisconsin-vs-illinois-score-starters-stats-broadcast-information/79061868007