Overtime was too much for Illinois for the fourth time this season, as the No. 9 Fighting Illini fell 91-88 to No. 23 Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals on Friday afternoon in Chicago.
Wisconsin guards Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined for 69 points and made 21 of 22 foul shots to rally the fifth-seeded Badgers (24-9) for their second OT win over fourth-seeded Illinois (24-8) in a month.
Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler had 19 points but missed a 3-pointer off the back iron at the buzzer. David Mirkovic added 19 for the Illini.
Boyd scored a Wisconsin Big Ten tournament record and career-high 38 one day after Blackwell went for 34 against Washington. Blackwell added 31 points Friday.
“Two of the best guards in the country,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said. “They’ve grown together. They play off one another really well. They’re two competitors. They hate losing more than they like winning.”
The Badgers draw top-seeded Michigan in Saturday’s semifinals. They beat the Wolverines 91-88 on Jan. 10, the only loss Michigan suffered in conference play.
Boyd got downhill and went high off the glass after smoking Andrej Stojakovic for the first score of overtime. Mirkovic isolated on Andrew Rohde with his back to the basket for the answer, but Boyd got another bucket before Mirkovic missed an and-1 free throw and a 3-point try.
Wisconsin went up 85-80 on Austin Rapp’s three. Mirkovic rolled out a free throw with 1:32 left and connected on the second as Boyd was substituted out because of leg cramps.
Boyd wasn’t done muscling up for the Badgers. He was all net on the first of two free throws with 27 seconds remaining in overtime. He missed the second but went back to the line for two more with 14.3 to go.
The Badgers outscored Illinois 61-52 across the second half and overtime.
Boyd made 12 of 20 shots from the field and 12 of 13 free throws.
Wisconsin spent most the first half sputtering around the 3-point line and ended the game a dreadful 10-for-41. But the Badgers shifted their offensive approach and went on the attack, living at the free-throw line by making 18 of 18 in the second half.
The Badgers missed four consecutive 3-pointers in the final 1:40 of regulation and allowed Stojakovic to score from short range, twisting his body while approaching the rim to convert a right-handed runner and reclaim the lead for Illinois at 78-76.
But Blackwell rebounded Boyd’s missed three and was fouled on the follow. He converted a pair at the line to tie the game at 78.
Illinois failed to score and Blackwell’s missed three — the 38th attempt of the game for Wisconsin and about five feet beyond the NBA stripe — at the buzzer sent the game to overtime.
Kylan Boswell put the Illini in front 62-54 on a corner jumper to stop Illinois’ three-minute scoring drought and respond to Boyd’s steal and finish, which capped a 9-0 run for Wisconsin with nine minutes to play in regulation.
Boyd hit the brakes on a 2-on-1 break and nailed a three, but Jake Davis immediately answered with one of his own to nudge Illinois to a 67-63 lead at the 5:22 mark. Out of a timeout, Blackwell responded, curling off of a screen for a nothing-but-net three from the top of the key.
Wisconsin brought energy to the fight, geared up to beat Illinois for a second time this season. But the Illini responded thanks to Stojakovic, one of three starters who missed the 92-90 loss to the Badgers in Champaign on Feb. 10, and an aggressive brand of defense.
“We beat them at home, so they were going to come out swinging,” Blackwell said.
Illinois led by as many as 15 in the first half. The Badgers were 5-of-23 on threes in the first 20 minutes and attempted only two free throws.
