Wisconsin Badgers and Illinois Fighting Illini: did John Blackwell’s 13-point overtime tip the United Center quarterfinal?

The Wisconsin Badgers entered the Big Ten quarterfinal at 23rd and left the United Center with a 91-88 overtime result against the ninth-ranked Fighting Illini. The Badgers posted 91 points to Illinois’ 88, and the game featured 9 ties and 6 lead changes on a neutral floor in Chicago.

First half

The Badgers scored 30 in the first half while the Illini scored 36 as Illinois carried a 15-point biggest lead in the game data. Wisconsin put up 41 three-point attempts and finished at 24 percent from deep, while still getting 34 points in the paint. The Illini shot 50 percent on field goals in the half-by-half flow and produced 44 points in the paint for the game.

Second half

Wisconsin scored 48 in the second half and paired it with 25 made free throws on 83 percent at the line as the Badgers climbed back into a 9-tie game. John Blackwell’s previous-game line showed 31 points on 53 percent shooting and 100 percent at the line, and Wisconsin again leaned on guard creation with 17 assists and a 3.4 assists-to-turnover ratio. The Badgers also turned 11 offensive rebounds into 13 second-chance points, while Illinois countered with 26 bench points and 14 fast-break points.

Overtime

Wisconsin won overtime 13-10, and the Badgers finished with 15 fast-break points to match their ability to score before Illinois could set. The Fighting Illini went 9-for-15 at the line for 60 percent, and that gap contrasted with Wisconsin’s 30 free-throw attempts in the Wisconsin Badgers vs Illinois Fighting Illini recap. Illinois also got 93 percent finishing at the rim in the team shot profile, while Wisconsin offset that with 8 points off turnovers and only 7 total turnovers.

Postgame snapshot

The Badgers produced 37 total rebounds and 5 steals, and the Illini finished with 36 rebounds and 1 steal in the box score. Nick Boyd’s previous-game production included 38 points and 6 assists with 3 steals, and that kind of perimeter pressure fit a Wisconsin night that ended with an efficiency mark of 97 in the team statistics. This set of post-game thoughts Wisconsin Badgers also tracks Wisconsin Badgers vs Illinois Fighting Illini highlights through a Wisconsin Badgers match rating that starts with overtime control and free-throw volume.

Wisconsin is scheduled to face the Michigan Wolverines at 1:00 PM EDT on 3/14/2026 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, and the broadcast listing shows CBS on television. Run it back with fellow Badgers fans by sharing this article and passing along the recap link to the group chat.