The Illinois Fighting Illini are facing their first real stumble of the season-and it couldn’t have come at a more critical time. After falling to No. 8 in the latest AP Poll, Illinois dropped a heartbreaker at home Tuesday night, losing 92-90 in overtime to a Wisconsin team that hadn’t won in Champaign in seven years. It marks the Illini’s first back-to-back losses of the season, and this one stings even more considering they were up 71-59 with just over eight minutes left in regulation.
That collapse down the stretch wasn’t just about missed shots or defensive lapses-it was a full-team unraveling in crunch time. Illinois shot a blistering 53% from the field, but 13 turnovers (a season-high in Big Ten play) and a lackluster effort on the offensive glass opened the door for the Badgers to claw their way back in. Head coach Brad Underwood didn’t sugarcoat it.
“Really proud of our guys,” Underwood said postgame. “Tough one to lose.
Really off script for us with 13 turnovers, most we've had in league play. Then just a very poor night on the offensive glass.
Very seldom do you shoot 53 percent and lose.”
And yet, despite the loss, Underwood made it clear he’s standing behind his squad-especially given they’re still without key backcourt pieces. Guards Andrej Stojaković (ankle) and Kylan Boswell (fractured hand) remain sidelined, and their absence has forced Illinois to lean heavily on others to carry the load.
One of those stepping up in a big way? Keaton Wagler.
The junior guard poured in 34 points, doing everything he could to keep Illinois afloat. But his standout performance wasn’t without controversy.
Underwood expressed growing frustration with how Wagler has been officiated in recent games, and Tuesday night seemed to push him to the edge.
“I’m done,” Underwood said, visibly frustrated. “I’m very frustrated. Because it changes so much from game to game.”
He pointed to a 10-second violation and a missed out-of-bounds call in overtime as turning points, even going so far as to question the officiating assignment itself.
“We had a guy [ref] tonight we haven’t had in two years,” he said. “In two years… do a league game.”
Underwood didn’t stick around much longer. After venting his frustration, he abruptly ended the press conference and exited the media room at State Farm Center.
Beyond Wagler’s scoring explosion, Illinois got solid contributions from big man Tomislav Ivišić (19 points), David Mirković (12), and Jake Davis (11), who got a boost from the Orange Krush student section-many of whom wore wigs in his honor.
But the story of the night was Wisconsin’s resilience. Guards John Blackwell and Nate Boyd combined for 49 points, spearheading a comeback that gives the Badgers a much-needed signature win and keeps them within striking distance in the Big Ten race.
“What a heck of a college basketball game between two really, really good teams,” said Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard. “I thought we executed as well as we wanted to.
They were able to hit some tough shots at times. I can’t say enough about the job our guys did just to battle back when we got down.”
For Illinois, the focus now shifts to Sunday’s matchup against Indiana. With a 20-5 record and an 11-3 mark in the Big Ten, the Illini are still very much in the hunt-but they’re looking up at No. 2 Michigan (22-1, 12-1 Big Ten), and the margin for error is shrinking fast.
Still, the locker room isn’t panicking. Ivišić, sitting next to Wagler after the game, made it clear the team’s mindset hasn’t changed.
“There’s no reason for negativity now,” Ivišić said. “We got a lot of games left.
We’re in a good spot. We can’t be affected by this.
We need to be ready. We’ll get some guys back and go with the mentality to win.
Losing is not an option.”
That’s the kind of response Illinois fans want to hear. But talk only goes so far. With the Hoosiers coming to town and the conference title race heating up, the Illini will need to back it up on the court-and quickly.