Badgers fall in season opener to Western Illinois

Friday, November 13

Madison, Wis.

8:00 PM

Wisconsin Badgers

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Western Illinois

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Western Illinois

Wisconsin

Photo by: David Stluka

Badgers fall in season opener to Western Illinois

November 13, 2015 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Hayes and Koenig score 17 points each, but Wisconsin falls

MADISON, Wis. – Garrett Covington hit two fouls shots with 10.2 seconds left, and Western Illinois shocked No. 17 Wisconsin with a 69-67 win on Friday night.

J.C. Fuller led Western Illinois with 20 points as a team picked to finish last in the Summit League upset a Big Ten power coming off back-to-back Final Four appearances.

The Leathernecks led by as many as eight midway through the second half before Wisconsin mounted a furious rally to tie it at 67 with 2 minutes left on Vitto Brown's layup.

That set up Covington's two late foul shots. Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig missed a mid-range jumper with 3 seconds left in the season opener for each school.

Western Illinois grabbed the rebound and celebrated as if it had just won an NCAA Tournament game.

The Leathernecks shot 54 percent against a team known historically for strong defensive play. But the Badgers were porous on Friday night.

Western Illinois shot 7 of 9 from 3-point range and consistently got to the lane off the dribble. Covington finished with 16 points.

Koenig and Nigel Hayes each had 17 points for Wisconsin. They are two holdover starters from last year's Final Four squad.

Coach Bo Ryan's team will need to shore up play on both ends of the floor.

Wisconsin shot 35 percent for the night and just 25 percent in the second half. The Badgers looked lethargic at times until Brown gave them a spark late in the game.