Badgers pick up win at Assembly Hall

CHAMPAIGN – The last time Illinois played at Assembly Hall, jubilant fans stormed the court to celebrate an upset victory against Ohio State. On Sunday, a disappointed sellout crowd poured out of the doors before the game was even finished as the No. 22 Illini lost 67-63 to Wisconsin.

The loss on its own wasn’t season-ending, but coupled with a defeat Thursday at Penn State and the knack Big Ten teams have for winning at home, it didn’t cast a positive mood around the Illini.

Illinois found itself outworked at the end for the second straight game and lost a chance to move into a first-place tie with Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan in the Big Ten.

“That was kind of a goal of ours not to have highs and lows in the season,” center Meyers Leonard said. “That’s kind of taken a turn.”

In the wrong direction.

For a team that prides itself on its “matto” – a chart that scores players on get-after-it plays like loose balls – the Illini saw the Badgers put in a more blue-collar effort.

Illinois (15-5, 4-3) grabbed only four offensive rebounds to seven by Wisconsin.

Sheer efficiency wasn’t a problem for the Badgers, either. Wisconsin (16-5, 5-3) hit 9 of 22 3-pointers and its bench outscored Illinois 14-0.

After leading 50-46 off seven straight points by Leonard with 9 minutes, 26 seconds remaining, Wisconsin used a 7-0 run to pull ahead 53-50 and maintained the lead.

Illinois trailed 58-57 with 2:55 to play, but the Badgers scored back-to-back unanswered baskets to pull ahead by five and made five of their final six free throws to secure the victory.

“You have to find a way at home to make a couple plays to maybe put their spirit out,” coach Bruce Weber said. “That’s when they outhustled us and out-toughed us.”

Leonard had 16 points and 11 rebounds but struggled to contain Wisconsin big man Jared Berggren, who scored 18 points and hit three 3-pointers. Jordan Taylor led the Badgers with 19 points.

Illinois sophomore Joseph Bertrand, a Sterling graduate, added 15 points and D.J. Richardson broke out of a slump for 13 points. After two noteworthy games, in which he combined to score 63 points, Brandon Paul shot only 3 of 11 for 10 points.