3 thoughts on Wisconsin basketball's 91–88 OT win over Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament
Wisconsin tops Illinois 91-88 in overtime at the Big Ten Tournament behind Nick Boyd and John Blackwell, sending the Badgers to the semifinals.
The Wisconsin men’s basketball team keeps finding ways to make things interesting this week in Chicago.
One day after narrowly escaping Washington, the fifth-seeded Badgers followed it up with one of their most impressive wins of the season, knocking off fourth-seeded and No. 15 Illinois 91–88 in overtime in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at the United Center.
It wasn’t always pretty. Wisconsin trailed by 15 points midway through the second half and looked like it might be headed for an early exit. But the Badgers responded the way this group has throughout the season — by leaning on their backcourt and grinding their way back into the game.
From there, the formula looked familiar.
Nick Boyd and John Blackwell took over offensively, Wisconsin clawed back possession by possession, and the Badgers ultimately delivered another statement win against a ranked opponent to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the third straight season under Greg Gard.
“I can’t say enough about the heart, toughness, and growth my group has shown from back late in the fall into the 2026 part of the calendar,” Gard said. “We’ve matured and developed tremendous toughness. For us to come back from 15 down speaks to the character of these guys and their willpower. Illinois is a terrific team.”
Here are a few thoughts from Wisconsin’s overtime win over Illinois.
1. Boyd and Blackwell delivered another masterpiece
At this point, it’s not really surprising anymore. It’s just what this backcourt does.
Nick Boyd and John Blackwell once again carried Wisconsin offensively in a way very few teams in the country can replicate. Boyd turned in the best performance of his Wisconsin career, pouring in 38 points while adding six assists, five rebounds, and three steals. Of those, 29 points came after halftime and in overtime, when the Badgers needed them most. He also went 12-of-13 from the free-throw line, knocking down a handful of clutch shots late.
Blackwell wasn’t far behind. The junior guard followed up his 34-point performance against Washington with 31 points, marking his second 30-point outing of the Big Ten Tournament. He attacked the rim all afternoon and was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free-throw line, consistently punishing Illinois whenever they tried to slow him down with contact.
Together, the duo combined for 69 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, which is remarkable on its own. But historically, it’s even more notable. It marked just the third time in program history — and the first time since 1968 — that two Badgers scored 30 or more points in the same game.
“When you have two guards like that and their ability to make plays — Nick had six assists — you ride the hot hand,” Gard said. “The game is a guard’s game, especially this time of year. To have two really, really good ones like we do, I’d be an idiot not to put the ball in their hands more often than not.”
Nationally, it’s something you almost never see in March. In fact, according to the numbers provided after the game, it’s the first time since at least the 2004–05 season that two teammates have both scored 30-plus points in a postseason game.
When Wisconsin’s backcourt is playing like that, the rest of the formula becomes pretty simple. Let the guards cook, space the floor, and ride the momentum.
That’s exactly what happened on Friday in Chicago.
2. The comeback kids strike again
For much of the second half, it looked like Wisconsin might finally run out of answers.
Illinois built a 15-point lead with about 11 minutes remaining, pushing the score to 65–50 and putting the Badgers in their toughest spot of the afternoon. Illinois was dictating tempo, getting downhill offensively, and forcing Wisconsin to play from behind.
But this Wisconsin team has developed a pretty clear identity over the course of the season.
They don’t panic.
Instead, they chipped away possession by possession. Boyd and Blackwell began attacking the paint more aggressively, drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. Defensively, the Badgers tightened up just enough to string together stops.
And slowly, the momentum flipped.
By the time overtime arrived, the game had completely changed hands.
The comeback wasn’t just impressive in the moment. It was historic in context. Wisconsin’s rally marked the program’s largest comeback ever in a Big Ten Tournament game. It was also the Badgers’ sixth double-digit comeback win of the season, which is tied for the most in the nation.
That stat says a lot about the makeup of this group. They’ve taken punches all season and kept coming back.
Friday was just the latest example.
“I think it’s a credit to them for recognizing how we had to improve and then actually doing it,” Gard said of the team’s growth. “There were things on the court, but there were just as many things in our physical and mental makeup that we had to grow through. It’s been a joy to watch them come together — the chemistry and the connectivity.
“It just took time because it’s a relatively new group. Credit to them for taking coaching, embracing the fact that we had to get better, and taking ownership of it.”
3. Another Top-25 win for the résumé
The deeper you get into March, the more your résumé starts to matter.
And Wisconsin just added another strong win to it.
By knocking off No. 15 Illinois, the Badgers secured their fifth consecutive win over an AP Top-25 opponent this season — something the program hasn’t accomplished since the 1998–99 campaign.
That stretch says a lot about the level Wisconsin has been playing at lately. This team has shown it can beat high-level opponents in a variety of ways: on the road, in close games, in shootouts, and now in overtime during the Big Ten Tournament.
It also continues to build on Coach Gard’s résumé in these types of games. Since taking over the program in 2015, Gard now has 19 wins over AP Top-10 opponents, the most by any coach in Wisconsin history.
That level of consistency against elite competition is hard to ignore.
Now the Badgers get another opportunity.
Wisconsin advances to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, where they’ll face top-seeded Michigan on Saturday at noon at the United Center. That game will be televised nationally on CBS, with a trip to the Big Ten Tournament championship on the line.
And if Boyd and Blackwell keep playing like this, Wisconsin will have every reason to believe it can keep this run going.
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