(UW ATHLETICS) CHICAGO – Wisconsin men’s basketball pulled out a thrilling 91-88 overtime win over No. 9 Illinois in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday afternoon. Star guards Nick Boyd (38) and John Blackwell (31) both poured in 30-plus points, becoming the first Badger duo to do so in the same game since 1968.
Having trailed by 15 in the first half and 13 in the second frame, Wisconsin rallied to force overtime with Boyd and Blackwell scoring 41 of the Badgers’ 48 second half points. Boyd finished with 38 points on 12-of-20 shooting and a 12-for-13 clip from the line. The 38 points were a career-high and the most for a Badger in the Big Ten Tournament ever, breaking Blackwell’s record (34) that was set in yesterday’s win over Washington.
The Badgers got out to an early 10-5 lead thanks to Boyd’s seven-straight points, and a Bieliauskas three-pointer. Illinois then upped the tempo, ripping off a 23-3 run. UW rallied around Blackwell, who scored five-straight to stop the bleeding. Boyd followed it up with a transition layup, sparking a 12-0 run to get back within three.
The two teams went cold the rest of the half, with Illinois holding a 36-30 advantage into the break. Blackwell had 10 points in the period.
The Illini came out of the locker room on a 7-0 surge, halted by a Blackwell driving-and-one. Despite the response, the Illini held a double-digit advantage at the 16-minute media timeout.
UW kept searching for answers under the 10-minute mark, until another Blackwell three gave Bucky life. He’d earn a tough two at the rim on the ensuing possession, followed by a Boyd strip-and-score to put the Badgers within six. The 9-0 run came over 90 seconds and forced an Illini timeout with 9 minutes to play.
Illinois hit a jumper out of the huddle, but UW didn’t stop the fight, going on another 9-0 run to get within two. After a UI bucket, Boyd hit a transition triple to set up an electric finish.
As the clock winded under five minutes, Boyd’s free throws gave UW the lead. The two sides would go back-and-forth into the one-minute mark. Illinois took a two-point lead on a fastbreak layup, but Blackwell answered with an offensive rebound and two free throws to tie the game. The Illini’s last-second heave fell shy, sending it to overtime.
Wisconsin started the extra session on an early 7-2 run thanks to two layups from Boyd, and a Rapp triple. That would be enough as UW locked down on the defensive end, and nailed clutch free throws to secure the win.
Up Next: Wisconsin will take on No. 1 Michigan on Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the 2026 Big Ten Tournament. Tipoff is set for noon CT at the United Center in Chicago. The game will air live on CBS and can be heard on the Badger Radio Network.
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