John Tonje scored 31 points and No. 11 Wisconsin beat Illinois 95-74 to earn its fifth straight victory and end its recent run of futility in this series.

Nothing was as it seemed, or at least as it had been, for the Illini in a disorienting 95-74 loss to the Badgers in Madison

John Tonje tallied his second straight 30-point game while Steven Crowl rebounded from an underwhelming performance against the Big Ten rival. Here's what stood out in the Badgers' fifth straight

Most major college basketball rating metrics agree that the Wisconsin Badgers are one of the best teams in the country. Most. Wisconsin (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) has won five in a row against Northwestern,

Wisconsin (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) had lost its last nine matchups with the Fighting Illini, including an 86-80 defeat Dec. 10 at Illinois. Wisconsin had won 15 straight meetings immediately before that stretch.

The Badgers lost to the Fighting Illini earlier this season, but look to break a long losing streak against their conference foe using the momentum of their biggest win of

Wisconsin started the game strong before creating significant separation in the second half, outscoring Illinois by 15 in the frame. Illinois was decimated by injuries and illness, which is why the Badgers attacked its depleted frontcourt.

Battered and bruised yet again, Illinois (17-10, 9-8 Big Ten) traveled to No. 11 Wisconsin (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten) looking to pull off an upset win and move on from its hard-to-forget collapse at home against No.

Most notably, the team's recent wins over Purdue and now Illinois have elevated it closer to a top seed in NCAA Tournament bracket projections. For those looking for further evidence to back up Wisconsin's quality,