For the first 38 minutes of the game the Fighting Illini had a win solidly in hand. Wisconsin suffered one of its worst shooting days and had only amassed 38 points to the Illini’s 50 as the final minutes slowly ticked away. Then came Trevon Hughes.
Illini Outlast Wisconsin’s Late Surge, Advance To Big Ten Semifinals
From the 1:44 point onward, Hughes would score 12 of his final 14 points, all from 3. Combined with another 3 from Keaton Nankovil and a a free throw from Jon Leuer, the Badgers outscored the Illini 16-8 in the final two minutes.
Sadly for the Badgers it was not enough. Mike Tisdale recorded 21 points shooting 8-10 in easily his best and most important performance of the year. The Illini keep their NCAA hopes alive for another day by recording their first win since February 23rd. This is the fifth top 25 win of the year for the Illini, and if predictions are to be believed, the Big Ten will be a five bid league as a result of the Illini’s success.
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