The Illinois men’s basketball team trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half and looked like the latest victim of a surging Wisconsin. Instead, the Fighting Illini locked it down and grinded out a 91-87 victory over the Badgers in order to secure its first conference championship since 2021. Illlinois improved to 26-8 on the season and have a key piece of hardware and momentum going into the NCAA Tournament. Terrance Shannon Jr. led all scorers with 34 points while Marcus Domask was next with 26.
