Feb. 18, 2004

Recap?|? Final Stats?|? Photo Gallery

• With the win, Illinois improves to 102-67 all-time against the Badgers. Illinois has won the last six meetings at Assembly Hall, and holds a 65-17 edge in Champaign. The home team has now won the last 10 games in the series.

• The Illini run their winning streak to five games, and have won their last five games at the Assembly Hall. Illinois improves to 11-1 at Assembly Hall this season and is now 50-2 at home over the last three-plus seasons. Illinois has now won 35 of its last 37 games at Assembly Hall.

• By topping 12th ranked Wisconsin, the Illini defeated their highest-ranked opponent since taking down #11 Missouri on 12/23/03 and their highest-ranked Big Ten opponent since knocking off #4 Michigan State on 2/6/01.

• Deron Williams had a monster game, pouring in a career-high 31 points, bettering his previous mark of 22 against North Carolina on 12/2/03. Williams also notched the most points scored by a single player in any Illini game this season, a mark previously held by Devin Harris (30). He is the first Illini to score 30+ points since Brian Cook had 31 on 1/29/03 vs. Michigan.

• Williams also set a career-high with five three-point field goals, and tied the career-high nine three-pointers he attempted against Illinois State (1/3/04) and Michigan (1/31/04). His previous high for 3s made was four against Temple (11/29/03) and Illinois State. Williams' nine field goals on 18 attempts tied career highs, matching his effort against North Carolina

• Williams also notched four steals on the night to tie his career-high for the fourth time and went 8-8 from the charity stripe, setting career-highs for both makes and attempts.

• The Illini defense forced 17 Wisconsin turnovers, a season high for the Badgers. The most miscues Wisconsin had committed so far this season was 14 at Maryland on 12/2/03. Illinois forced Devin Harris into a season-high six turnovers, primarily being guarded by Luther Head.

• The Illini clamped down defensively on Wisconsin's leading scorers Harris and Mike Wilkinson. Illinois held Harris to 16 points and Wilkinson to seven after allowing the pair to score 54 of the Badgers' 76 points in Madison on Jan. 24. Harris averages 19.1 ppg, and Wilkinson averages 11.9 ppg for the season.

• The Illini kept the Badgers off the free throw line, limiting them to just five makes on eight attempts. Entering the game, Wisconsin was averaging 16 makes and 23 attempts per game. Tonight's attendance of 16,618 was the seventh sell-out of the season. It was the third consecutive, and fourth time in the last five games the Illini have sold out Assembly Hall.