The Wisconsin Badgers pulled off yet another impressive upset on the road on Tuesday, beating the Illinois Fighting Illini 92-90 in overtime in a thriller. It was the second time Wisconsin upset a top-10 team on the road this season after their 91-88 victory over the Michigan Wolverines in January that really started the turnaround of their season.
In this one, Wisconsin battled hard, starting strong in the first half, second half, and overtime. But, in the first and second halves, the Badgers had
lulls that allowed Illinois to take the lead. The Fighting Illini even held a 12-point lead midway through the second half, but Wisconsin engineered yet another double-digit comeback and found a way to win one of the toughest games on its schedule.
Wisconsin has shown a propensity for winning some of these high-profile contests on the road. In fact, Tuesday was the seventh top-10 road win under head coach Greg Gard, which is the most in the country during that timeframe, topping programs like Illinois, Alabama, and Kansas.
Wisconsin is one of seven teams with multiple top-10 wins this season, according to UW Athletics, and is one of two teams (including Illinois, coincidentally) with multiple top-10 road wins this year. The Badgers have traditionally been a good road team under Gard, holding the second-highest road win percentage in the Big Ten in the Gard era behind Purdue.
This season, they’re now 4-2 in true road games, beating Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State, and now Illinois. With the victory, the Badgers notched their second Quad 1 win of the season and cemented their status in the latest Bracketology predictions as firmly in the Field of 64 currently.
Next up, the Badgers have yet another big challenge, facing the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans at home on Friday. The Spartans will be well-rested, getting a six-day break after their overtime win over Illinois on Saturday, so it will definitely be a challenge for the Badgers. But this team has risen to the occasion a couple of times this year.
