The No. 22 University of Wisconsin men’s basketball team (18-8, 10-5 Big Ten) defeated the Illinois Fighting Illini (10-16, 6-9) 64–58 Monday night at the Kohl Center. In what proved to be a poor shooting night for the Badgers, the team ground out a win thanks to a strong closing effort.
The Badgers trailed early, after shooting just 2-for-15, including 0-for-6 from three at the 12:30 mark of the first half. Things didn’t get much better, as Wisconsin finished the first half just 9 of 28 and 2 of 10 from three. The Badgers’ defense, on the other hand, held their own against a high-paced Illini offense, forcing them to just 9-for-26 shooting and 3-for-11 from beyond the arc.