Wisconsin Badgers unlock unmatched NCAA achievement during Greg Gard era

The Wisconsin Badgers sent another strong warning to the rest of the nation on Tuesday, when they stunned the No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini in a 92-90 overtime win at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.

Down by 12 points in the second half, Wisconsin basketball chipped away at the deficit little by little before completing the incredible come-from-behind win in enemy territory.

It was also another victory for Wisconsin at the expense of a top-10 squad on the road, giving the program something it had not accomplished before during the Greg Gard era.

Via Zach Heilprin of The Zone:

That is Wisconsin’s seventh win against a top-10 team on the road since Greg Gard took over as coach — the most of any school in the country in that time.

The Wisconsin Badgers’ resilience shines in a road win against the Fighting Illini

The victory over the Fighting Illinois was also the second this season for Wisconsin against a top-10 squad away from home.

It can be recalled that the Badgers shocked the then-No. 2 Michigan Wolverines in a 91-88 win at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan back in January.

Granted that Illinois was missing a couple of key players in the Wisconsin game, that shouldn’t take away from the Badgers’ win, especially since they were down by a dozen points in the second half.

Nick Boyd and John Blackwell showed the way for Wisconsin in Champaign, as they scored 25 and 24 points, respectively.

The Badgers have another opportunity to further strengthen their March Madness resume this Friday, as they host the No. 10 Michigan State Spartans at Kohl Center in Madison.