CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — No. 8 Illinois came up just short in an overtime battle Tuesday night, falling to Wisconsin 92-90 at the State Farm Center.
The Illini (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) forced overtime for the second consecutive game but were unable to close it out despite a standout performance from freshman Keaton Wagler.
Wagler poured in 34 points, tying for the third-most by a freshman in program history. He added seven assists and has now scored in double figures in 17 straight games. It marked his second 30-point performance of the season and his eighth game with 20 or more points.
Illinois knocked down 15 three-pointers, continuing its strong perimeter shooting. The Illini entered the night leading the Big Ten in three-pointers per game and have now made 10 or more threes in 19 games this season.
Junior Tomislav Ivisic recorded a double-double with 19 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, adding three assists. He scored 17 of his 19 points in the first half and hit three shots from beyond the arc.
Illinois played without Kylan Boswell for the seventh straight game due to a broken right hand, and Andrej Stojakovic missed his first game since the season opener with an ankle sprain. The Illini used their seventh different starting lineup of the season, with the starting five and sixth man Zvonimir Ivisic playing all but 57 seconds of the contest.
Wisconsin improved to 17-7 overall and 9-4 in conference play. The game drew the eighth home sellout of the season, with 15,544 fans in attendance.