Recap | Final Stats | Quotes
Postgame Notes
Wisconsin 68, Illinois 49
Feb. 15, 2015
TEAM NOTES
• Wisconsin improved to 23-2 on the season, equaling the Badgers' best 25-game start in program history. UW also opened the 2006-07 season with a mark of 23-2.
• The Badgers moved to 11-1 in the Big Ten, which equals the team's best 12-game start since 1914. UW also began 11-1 in 1916, 1923, 1941 and 2007.
• Bo Ryan improved to 344-123 (.737) during his time in Madison. He also improved to 167-67 (.714) all-time in Big Ten action, the highest winning percentage in conference history.
• Ryan has led the Badgers to at least 11 Big Ten wins in 12 of his 14 seasons at UW.
• UW has now won 8 straight vs. Illinois, the team's longest win streak vs. the Illini. The Badgers have won 15 of the last 19 meetings overall.
• Wisconsin won its 8th-straight Big Ten game, the longest league win streak for UW since winning 11 in a row in the 1940-41 season.
• UW won its 5th-consecutive Big Ten game by a double-digit margin, tying the school record for consecutive double-digit wins in league play (also 1916, 2007, 2008).
• Wisconsin snapped Illinois' four-game win streak by holding the Illini to 49 points, the fewest points a Big Ten opponent has scored on the Badgers this season.
• The Badgers committed just 4 turnovers, including just 1 in the second half. UW has had 9 or fewer giveaways in each of its 12 Big Ten games.
• UW is averaging 6.08 turnovers in league games, far and away the best mark of any team in the country. Virginia ranks No. 2 with 7.75 turnovers per game in conference play.
• Overall, Wisconsin lowered its nation-leading average to 7.40 turnovers per game. UW's 2010-11 team owns the NCAA record for fewest turnovers per game at 7.59.
• UW finished with a 36-14 advantage in points in the paint, including a 22-6 edge in the first half.
• After going 0-for-5 from 3-point range in the first half, Wisconsin hit 5 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc in the second half, including a 3-for-4 performance from Bronson Koenig.
• The Badgers committed 11 fouls, lowering their nation-leading average to just 13.1 fouls per game.
• UW's starters (Bronson Koenig, Josh Gasser, Sam Dekker, Nigel Hayes and Frank Kaminsky) combined to score 65 points, shoot 57.4% from the floor, pull down 26 rebounds, record 6 steals and dish out 11 assists against just 3 turnovers.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Senior Frank Kaminsky tallied his 10th double-double of the season, the most in the Big Ten, finishing with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Kaminsky has scored at least 20 points in 9 games this season and 16 times in his career.
• Freshman Bronson Koenig scored 15 points on 3-for-5 shooting from 3-point range and finished with 4 assists and 0 turnovers. Koenig has reached double figures in 7 of 8 games since taking over the starting point guard position. He is averaging 13.0 points per game over that stretch.
• Junior Sam Dekker posted 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists and matched his career high with 3 steals. He has scored in double figures in 9 straight games and 15 of the last 16 games.
• Sophomore Nigel Hayes finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds, going 4-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from 3-point range.
