MADISON, Wis. — Illinois didn’t waste any time clearing its bench after the final horn sounded to end Saturday afternoon’s game at Wisconsin.
It was a quick, orderly exit off AB Nicholas Court to the tunnel toward the visiting locker room in the southwest corner of the Kohl Center.
The COVID-19 era of college basketball means no post-game handshakes are swapped. The last Illini on the court was one who actually didn’t play. Ayo Dosunmu, out for a second straight game with a facial injury, got in a quick word with Wisconsin coach Greg Gard.
The rest of the Illini made their escape — safe from any more D’Mitrik Trice three-pointers and secure with their 74-69 road win against the No. 23 Badgers.
There was a bus to catch to the airport. A quick flight home to reset and do it all over again for the fifth-ranked Illini with another Big Ten trip coming Tuesday at No. 3 Michigan in a grueling end to the regular season.
“It wasn’t pretty on either end, but when you’re on the road and at the end of February, who gives a dang,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “To be very honest, I couldn’t be prouder. They’re gritty. They’re tough. It’s just another step in what I hope is our culture.
“This place has been magical for Wisconsin. It’s one of the elite programs in college basketball. To come in here back-to-back years and come in here without Ayo (and win), I’m a proud head coach right now.”
Illinois set the tone early. In multiple ways. A rash of first-half turnovers gave Wisconsin plenty of opportunities. The Illini’s smothering defense meant the Badgers didn’t make much of those extra chances. They even shot a single digit percentage for a significant portion of the half.
“That’s just us coming out juiced up ready to go,” Illinois senior guard Da’Monte Williams said. “We wanted to show them we were here to play.”
Wisconsin (16-9, 10-8 Big Ten) showed some of that late. Or at least Trice did. The Badgers’ redshirt senior guard scored his team’s last 19 points, which included five three-pointers in the final 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Trice banked one of the five in from the top of the key. Another was an off-balance leaner. All but the first one was heavily contested.
But Illinois (18-6, 14-4) had an answer each time. Mostly at the free throw line, which hasn’t been a guarantee for the Illini this season. Trent Frazier and Andre Curbelo made all four of their chances. Jacob Grandison hit the final two to put the finishing touches on his team’s five-point victory.
“I’ve seen those guys make 30-50 free throws in a row every day,” Williams said. “That’s really nothing new. It was them just going up, taking their time and knocking them down.”
Simply put, Illinois found a way to win. Again. In a game where 20 turnovers on the road against a Top 25 team — missing a national player of the year candidate, no less — could have easily spelled disaster.
How his team has responded this week has stuck with Underwood. It started with the physicality of Tuesday night’s game at Michigan State and an 81-72 loss that snapped a seven-game winning streak. It continued in dealing with Dosunmu’s injury, the uncertainty of what that meant and then playing without him Thursday night against Nebraska and again Saturday afternoon in Madison.
The response was two more wins.
“It’s been an emotional week and a hard week,” Underwood said. “These two games are both right up there in terms of being so excited and so proud of what we’re building and what we’re elevating our program to.”
Illinois doesn’t have much time to bask in another road win, though. That flight home late Saturday afternoon would lead the team into a Sunday practice. The league-leading Wolverines (18-1, 14-1) await at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the fifth game in 11 days for Illinois.
The Illini players have adopted Underwood’s regular post-game motto. It’s on to the next. On to the Wolverines, who drubbed Indiana 73-57 on Saturday on the road and have won five straight games since coming out of their COVID-19 pause.
Illinois will head into Tuesday night’s showdown, though, with some momentum. With the knowledge it can win on the road against a ranked opponent. And without Dosunmu, if the Illini star is still sidelined to start next week.
“Even though we’ve got all away games from here on, we’ve just got to come prepared and we will,” Williams said. “It’s college basketball. Anything can happen. You’ve just got to stay dialed in and ready to go.”
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