Behind a big-time career night from sophomore guard Deron Williams, Illinois proved right now it is the team to beat in the Big Ten as it knocked No. 10 Wisconsin out of first place with a 65-57 win Wednesday night.
Winning their fifth conference game in a row and seventh in their last eight, the Illini (8-3 Big Ten, 17-5 overall) overcame a tough first half of shooting primarily behind the play of Williams. Connecting on five of nine attempts from three-point territory and eight of eight from the free throw line, Williams single-handedly lifted Illinois to the victory on the strength of his career-high 31 points.
After the Badgers (8-3, 17-5) jumped out to an early 10-5 lead, the Illini battled back to keep UW within striking distance. Using a 12-4 run in the final five minutes of the first half, Head Coach Bruce Weber's Illinois squad entered halftime with a two-point edge and strong momentum in the contest.
The Badgers came out in the second half and immediately took the lead back on a three-point basket by UW junior forward Mike Wilkinson. However, for Badgers' Head Coach Bo Ryan and his group, this was the last lead they would have in the game.
Illinois retaliated on the ensuing possession, finding its man with the hot hand for the night. Williams responded with his third three-pointer of the night and the Illini ran off a 16-8 run to lead 46-39 with 11:01 to go.
The Badgers, sparked by their leader, junior guard Devin Harris, rallied to cut Illinois' lead to one with 5:31 remaining. However, as they did all night, the Illini battled back.
Spanning the next 2:26, Illinois outscored the Badgers 8-2 to go up 58-51. After several missed shots by both teams and a turnover by UW, the Badgers were forced to foul for the final l:29.
Despite letting the Badgers shoot 51 percent for the game, Illinois managed to weather UW's late charge behind strong free throw shooting and patient offense. Williams led the Illini down the stretch as he did all game by hitting all eight of his free throw attempts in the final 3:29.
Illinois as a team also forced 17 Badger turnovers on the game, seven more than its Big Ten leading average of 10.0 per contest. They also attempted 19 more free throws than Wisconsin.
In addition to Williams' 31 points, junior guard Luther Head added nine and sophomore forward James Augustine added nine.
For UW, Harris led in scoring with 16 points, while junior forward Zach Morley added 12, senior guard Freddie Owens pitched in eight and Wilkinson contributed seven.
The loss for the Badgers drops them into a tie for second place with Illinois. With Michigan State's win Tuesday night over Purdue, the Spartans are in sole possession of first place in the Big Ten.
