Wisconsin hands Illinois second straight conference loss

The Illini lost the Matto battle 25-23, a hustle chart number boosted by the Badgers with some late-game offensive rebounds, and when the final seconds ticked off the clock, 90 percent of the season's first sellout already had split for the parking lots. Illinois plays Saturday at Minnesota (7 p.m., Big Ten Network).

"That was a goal to not have highs and lows in the season," Illini center Meyers Leonard said. "Obviously, that's taken a turn. Hopefully, we can steal one on the road. Hopefully, we get better. That's what matters. We've got a lot of guys with talent. We've got to continue to listen to coaching."

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