It wasn't the easiest of victories.
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.
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