Jan. 10, 2008

Box Score

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Trevon Hughes scored 22 points and Brian Butch added 16 as No. 21 Wisconsin beat Illinois 70-60 on Thursday night to give the Illini their first four-game losing streak under coach Bruce Weber.

The Illini (8-8, 0-3 Big Ten) are the only conference team to beat Wisconsin (13-2, 3-0) in the Kohl Center under coach Bo Ryan.

Illinois managed to hang around for much of the game by grabbing 13 offensive rebounds while limiting Wisconsin to just four and shooting well from behind the 3-point line, a rarity for the Illini.

But the Badgers were finally able to take charge midway through the second half. Calvin Brock brought the Illini within 44-41 with just under 10 minutes to go before Wisconsin responded with consecutive 3-pointers from Jason Bohannon and Hughes. That sparked a 16-5 run over the next five minutes that put Wisconsin up 60-46, and Illinois wouldn't threaten again.

Brock and Trent Meacham both had 14 points for Illinois. Meacham was 4-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc and Illinois was 6-of-10. The Illini came into the game hitting just 28 percent from long range.

When the Illini found their stroke from the outside, their post presence all but disappeared because of foul trouble. Shaun Pruitt was limited to 25 minutes and scored nine points, while Brian Randle scored four points and fouled out. The two combined to shoot 5-of-15 from the field and grabbed nine rebounds.