Feb. 01--Another Illinois cold spell set in.
The Illini went more than seven minutes without scoring, allowing Wisconsin to overcome an eight-point deficit and lead 33-28 at halftime.
Malcolm Hill got off to another slow start, scoring his first field goal with less than four minutes left in the first half. He finished with a team-high eight points along with Kendrick Nunn.
Guard Jalen Coleman-Lands, who has started nine of the last 10 games, did not come off the bench until 8:50 remained in the game. The team did not disclose a reason before the game.
Despite starting the game shooting 1 of 5, Wisconsin finished the first half hitting 52 percent of its shots. The Badgers were just 1 of 9 on 3-pointers, while Illinois hit 4 of 5.
Nigel Hayes led Wisconsin with eight points. His shot at the buzzer bounced around before sinking through the net. Hill had turned the ball over on the previous possession.
At least historically speaking, Illinois isn't getting a break on Sunday night.
The Illini face Wisconsin, which has beaten Illinois three straigth times in Champaign and eight straight times overall.
The Badgers (12-9, 4-4 Big Ten), who got off to a rocky start, have appeared to be finding their way with three straight victories.
Forward Nigel Hayes leads Wisconsin with 17 points per game and adds another 6.1 rebounds a game.
The Illini (10-11, 2-6) are coming off a 68-63 overtime loss to Ohio State on Friday.
