Illinois Rallies To Conference Win Over Wisconsin

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Published on January 9 2020 6:16 am
Last Updated on January 9 2020 6:17 am

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 points -- including a 3-pointer with 46 seconds left -- to rally Illinois to a 71-70 Big Ten Conference victory over Wisconsin on Wednesday.

The win snapped a 15-game losing streak for the Illini (11-5 3-2 Big Ten), who hadn't won a game against the Badgers since 2011.

Freshman 7-footer Kofi Cockburn scored 15 points and reserve guard Alan Griffin added 12, including 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range.

Kobe King scored a game-high 21 points for Wisconsin (9-6, 2-2), which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

King drained a 3 with 22 seconds left to pull Wisconsin to 71-70, but when the Badgers got the ball back after a missed free throw by Illinois forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili, D'Mitrik Trice missed a go-ahead bucket with three seconds left.

The teams traded the lead 10 times in the first half, until Potter and King collaborated during a 9-1 Wisconsin run -- capped by a King 3-pointer -- that extended the Badgers' lead to 28-21 with 3:57 before halftime.

King, who was 8-of-11 shooting, delivered eight of the Badgers' first nine points to open the second half.

Illinois pulled within 54-52 with 9:50 left on a dunk by Cockburn, who picked up his fourth foul 17 seconds later.

The Badgers maintained a slim lead late in the second half, but didn't score a basket for nearly two minutes. The Illini tied the game at 63 on back-to-back 3s by Griffin with 3:22 left.

Micah Potter scored 13 points with nine rebounds and two blocks for Wisconsin. Potter, an Ohio State transfer playing in his fourth game since his eligibility began in late December, made all eight of his foul shots.

The Illini finished with 30 points in the paint against Wisconsin.

UP NEXT

Illinois returns home for a matchup with Rutgers on Saturday at State Farm Center (11 am CT on BTN). Tickets are available for Saturday's contest. 

ILLINOIS GAME NOTES

• Illinois snapped a 15-game losing streak against Wisconsin, the longest ever by an Illinois opponent.

• Illinois snapped an 8-game losing streak at Kohl Center, which spanned 10 years (Last win: 63-56 at No. 11 Wisconsin 2/9/2010).

• Illinois will be the only school to sweep Wisconsin during the regular season in football and men's basketball in 2019-20. 

• Illinois' 71 points were its most against Wisconsin in the last 29 matchups spanning nearly 15 years (W, 75-65 at Wisconsin 1/25/2005). 

• Illinois won a 1-point game in Madison for the first time since 1/7/1984 (63-62 OT). Illinois has three 1-point wins in Madison during its 98 visits dating back to 1907 (also 34-33, 1/16/1928).

• Illinois is above .500 in Big Ten play for the first time since March 6, 2015 (9-8).