In what was one of the more impressive performances of the year, the Wisconsin Badgers pummeled No. 12 Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Badgers moved out to an early lead and never looked back, picking up the 74-51 win at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis.
No. 12 Illinois vs. Wisconsin final score: Badgers pound Illini, 74-51
The Illini were lost from the opening tip and never really had a chance against the sharp-shooting Badgers.
Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports
The Fighting Illini did not score until seven minutes into the first half. At one point they trailed 31-7, due to a sharp-shooting and stellar defensive performance from Wisconsin.
The Badgers shot nearly 50 percent from the field, hit 10 three-pointers and had nine players score. Jared Berggren led the way with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Traevon Jackson had 14 points. Sam Dekker provided a spark off the bench with 13 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Illinois made just 35 percent of its shot attempts and was unable to get anything going from behind the arc. D.J. Richardson came up with 16 points, although he was the lone offensive threat for coach John Groce. Just one other player, Joseph Bertrand, who had 12 points, reached double digits in scoring.
Illinois, which is now 1-3 in Big 10 play, will look to get back on track against Northwestern on Thursday night. Wisconsin heads to Indiana on Tuesday for what should be a great conference showdown in Bloomington.
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