It Was The Marcus Domask Show As Illini Beat Wisconsin

The victory marked the Fighting Illini's fourth consecutive road win over the Badgers, making the Orange and Blue the first Big Ten program to ever achieve that feat. The eight-point road win also secured a double-bye for the Fighting Illini in the 2024 Big Ten Tournament.

Over the final 5:44 of play, the Illini outscored the Badgers, 23-15, while the team's 91 points were their most against Wisconsin in 35 years.

Playing in the same arena in which he won a state title in high school, Domask finished his afternoon with a team-high 31 points, his third outing this season with 30+ points.

Scoring in double figures for the 19th time in his last 20 games, Domask knocked down a season-high four 3-pointers, and he made six of his final seven field-goal attempts.

He also amassed eight rebounds and three assists, both of which were team-best marks, and he made one block.

Terrence Shannon Jr. followed up his 29-point effort on Wednesday night with a 23-point showing against the Badgers. Shannon made three 3-pointers, all of which came in the first half, and he went 8-for-9 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed five boards, dished out two assists, and was credited with a team-high two steals.

Coleman Hawkins totaled 13 points, nine of which came in the second half, en route to his third straight double-digit scoring outing. Going 4-for-4 from the stripe, Hawkins hauled in seven rebounds, including two on the offensive glass, and he made two blocks, his eighth game with multiple swats. He also tacked on one assist.

Justin Harmon scored eight of his 10 points in the final 11 minutes of action, bringing him into double figures for the ninth time this season. Harmon was a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch, and he tallied two rebounds and one block.

Quincy Guerrier added seven points, and three of his four boards came on the offensive glass. Dain Dainja ended the afternoon with four points.

The Badgers scored the first points of the day, but the Illini did not trail for long. A 5-0 run, which began on Domask's 3-pointer, gave the visitors an early 5-2 edge. Wisconsin responded with a lengthy run of its own, though, jumping ahead by nine after piecing together a 12-0 scoring stretch of a three-minute span.

Domask ended Illinois' drought with a floater off the glass before Shannon accounted for the Orange and Blue's next six points, but the Badgers never saw their lead drop below five during that time. Domask and Shannon both connected from beyond the arc over the next two minutes, which fueled a 6-2 Illini run to cut Wisconsin's advantage to 22-19.

Holding the Badgers without a field goal for nearly five minutes of play, the Illini took advantage of their defensive stops by going on a 12-0 run of their own to take their first lead since the opening three minutes. Both Shannon and Domask moved into double figures during that span, while 10 of the team's 12 points came in the paint. A Rodgers layup following a behind-the-back no-look pass from Domask highlighted the scoring stretch, which saw Illinois take a 31-25 lead.

Domask's third trey of the day about two minutes later brought the Illini advantage up to seven points before Wisconsin used a 5-0 run to cut its deficit to two. Illinois responded with a 5-0 run of its own to retake a seven-point advantage, which included Shannon's third 3-pointer. The Badgers ultimately tallied the final five points of the frame, and the Illini took a 39-37 lead into the break.

Shannon and Domask combined for 27 of the Illini's 39 first-half points, taking advantage of sharp shooting from 3-point range to knock down six triples through the first 20 minutes. Illinois also capitalized on forced turnovers, scoring 14 points on seven first-half takeaways.

The Orange and Blue opened the second half on a 5-0 run, which saw Guerrier convert on his 3-point attempt, to bring the away side's advantage back up to seven points within the opening 60 seconds of the frame. 

The Badgers clawed their way back, though, using an 8-1 scoring stretch to even the game at 47 with 14 minutes remaining in the contest. Wisconsin eventually took a two-point lead, but a 3-pointer from Hawkins, his first of the day, put Illinois quickly back in front, 50-49.

Three-and-a-half minutes and two lead changes later, the Illini turned a 59-59 scoreline into a seven-point edge. Shannon began that stretch with a running jumper before Domask made his fourth 3-pointer of the day to move above 20 points. Harmon's layup capped off Illinois' 7-0 run in the span of just 51 seconds to force the Badgers to take a timeout with 8:22 to play.

Wisconsin battled back to even the contest at 68 with just under six minutes remaining, but Illinois strung together a 4-0 run to go back in front, a lead the Illini never gave up. Domask continued his standout performance with a layup, while Shannon secured his second 20-point game in a row during that stretch.

The Badgers cut their deficit to three via a free throw, but the Illini built onto their advantage via free throws from Guerrier and a Domask layup. A fading jumper from Domask 34 seconds later and an and-1 layup from Shannon gave the Orange and Blue a 10-point edge, their largest lead of the afternoon. After the game was tied at 68 with 5:44 to play, the Illini's run totaled a 13-3 advantage for the visitors. 

Domask scored the team's next four points, moving him above 30 points for the third time this season. Hawkins and Harmon went perfect from the stripe down the stretch, helping the Illini secure the road win.

No. 13 Illinois (22-7, 13-5 B1G) prepares for a rematch with No. 2 Purdue in the team's final home game of the season. The Illini will host the Boilermakers for Senior Day on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. CT at sold-out State Farm Center, while the game will be available for streaming on Peacock.