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.

With 5:48 left in the first half, Wisconsin led Illinois 34-23. Jack Janicki brought the ball up in transition and instead of slowing the tempo down, he caught Illinois off-guard and found Xavier Amos in the paint for an easy layup. Wisconsin's increased aggressiveness has been one of the reasons why it has improved from last season.

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.