As the Wisconsin men’s basketball team took to the road Thursday night in the midst of a season-long five-game losing streak, the Badgers (4-9 Big Ten, 11-15 overall) put their faith in the steady hands of Ethan Happ as they dispatched Illinois (3-9, 12-13) 78-69.
The redshirt junior forward was the only fully functional aspect of the UW offense against the Fighting Illini, shredding the UI defense from the opening tip to the final whistle. He made 10 of the Badgers’ first 15 baskets on the night, finishing with 27 points on 12-of-20 shooting. That’s 34.6 percent of UW’s total offensive output.
The first half was all Happ, as he kept the Badgers above water while his teammates struggled to find the bottom of the basket. He scored 16 of their first-half points and led UW to shoot 53 percent from the field, pushing UW to a 36-33 lead at the intermission.
The second period opened with more of the same, as the Milan, Ill., native repeatedly found space in the interior of the Illinois defense. But midway through the half, he found support from freshmen Brad Davison and Nate Reuvers, who made five of their seven total field goals toward the end of the game to maintain the lead.
Illini guard Trent Frazier, though, wouldn’t let his team go down on its home court without a fight. The freshman registered a career-high 32 points, keeping Illinois within striking distance until the closing seconds of the contest.
Redshirt sophomore guard Brevin Pritzl, who buried a 3-pointer and drew two fouls in the final 90 seconds to secure the Badgers’ first win in six tries, also played a key role for UW in its victory. After missing his last 10 attempts from deep over the course of two games, Pritzl buried all three of his 3-point shots and sank 6-of-6 free throws to earn UW its 13th straight victory over Illinois.
Ultimately, though, it was Happ that carried the Badgers to just their second road win of the season. He made nearly half of their field goals, recorded a team-high two steals and a career-high eight assists.
UW now heads back to Madison, where it will welcome Michigan. The Badgers are looking for its fifth conference win. An air of confidence is back.
