Illinois gets best of No. 20 Wisconsin thanks to second-half run

Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis posted a career-high 24 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists and Tre White added a season-high 23 points as Illinois earned an 86-80 victory over No. 20 Wisconsin on Tuesday night in Champaign, Ill.

Kylan Boswell chipped in 19 points and six assists for the Fighting Illini (7-2, 1-1 Big Ten), who outrebounded the Badgers 40-29 and made 22 of 25 free throws.

Nolan Winter produced a career-high-tying 15 points and hauled in seven rebounds for Wisconsin (8-3, 0-2), which lost its third game in a row. John Tonje netted 14 points, while Max Klesmit contributed 13 and John Blackwell scored 10 before fouling out.

The Illini came out determined to fire away from long range but had limited success from deep, as they canned just three of their first 15 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, Wisconsin led for a good portion of the first half by probing the paint and moving the ball around to get layups.

Klesmit hit a 3-pointer, sank a jumper and drove the lane to feed Carter Gilmore for a wraparound layup to help the Badgers to a 25-21 edge. Wisconsin then went silent for more than five minutes as Illinois rattled off seven unanswered points to go up 28-25 with 5:05 left in the first half.

White converted a three-point play and knocked down a trey in the final 2:22 of the period to send the Fighting Illini into the break with a 39-35 edge.

Winter sparked Wisconsin at the outset of the second half, drilling a 3-pointer, making good on a layup and cashing in on a three-point play to put the Badgers ahead 47-46 with 16:32 to play.

Illinois answered with a 13-2 outburst, with Jakucionis and Boswell accounting for all but one of the Illini's points during the charge, which gave the hosts a 59-49 cushion.

Wisconsin got within four on multiple occasions down the stretch, but it failed to get any closer.

--Field Level Media