In the 2008 Big Ten Conference Championship Game, the top seeded Wisconsin Badgers will face the upstart Illinois Fighting Illini at Conseco Field House in Indianapolis, Indiana. This page will provide play-by-play live coverage of this game.

1. When: Sunday March 16, 3:30 PM ET
2. Where: Conseco Field House, Indianapolis
3. Television Coverage: CBS Sports
4. Game Announcers: Jim Nantz and Billy Packer

• Commentary in ITALICS

• Wisconsin has won the Big Ten Championship, defeating Illinois 61-48

• 0:09: Hicks hits 3-pointer to cut it to 61-48 Wisconsin

• 0:32: Ball goes out of bounds and Wisconsin trying to run out clock

• 0:45: Wisconsin empties bench as game is over...

• 0:49: Wisconsin grabs rebound off miss shot by Illinois

• 1:11: Krabbenhoft beats shot clock with running lay-up

• 1:44: Holdren hits a shot for Illinois = Wisconsin up 14

• 2:15: TIMEOUT ILLINOIS after they make a basket

• 2:20: Krabbenhoft on a great pass by Bohannon

• 2:59: Frazier scores for Illinois - 16 point Wisconsin lead

• 3:21: Turnover by Wisconsin and then foul in transition

• 3:53: TV TIMEOUT on foul on Flowers = Wisconsin about to wrap it up leading by 18

• 4:10: Bohannon again for Wisconsin

• 4:42: Frazier runs it down the floor and scores a lay-up

• 5:04: Ball out of bounds to Wisconsin

• 5:20: Jeffrey Jordan his the shot - yep, Michael Jordan's son

• 5:35: Bohannon hits jumper - it's a 20-point Wisconsin lead

• 5:57: Missed shot and a foul on Illinois turns the ball over

• 6:01: Blocking foul on Landry

• 6:46: Missed shot by Pruitt for Illinois

• 7:00: Two missed shots by Wisconsin, but they are still working the clock

• 7:46: TV TIMEOUT: Wisconsin in total control right now 53-35

• 7:57: Wisconsin misses rare shot, but they grab loose ball, as they've done all game long

• 8:36: Butch slams it home on a great feed from Bohannon

• 8:59: Another missed shot by Illinois from way outside

• 9:08: Randle loses ball but Illinois retains possession

• 9:23: Butch hits a 3 for Wisconsin: 51-35 lead

• 9:52: Brock tips home a rebound for Illinois

• 10:10: Butch hits shot underneath the basket for Wisconsin

• 10:43: Frazier knocks down a rare Illinois 3-point shot

• 11:08: 3-point field goal by Bohannon, and Wisconsin is pulling away: 46-30

• 11:29: TV TIMEOUT

• 11:38: Missed shot by Bohannon, but then Illinois turns ball over

• 12:01: Illinois continues to struggle shooting the ball, just 1 for 10 from 3-point range

• 12:22: Butch called for travelling after Flowers inbounds the ball off of Brock's back

• 12:28: Meacham misses another shot from outside - out of bounds to Wisconsin

• 12:58: A rare miss this half for Wisconsin and Illinois rushes up court

• 13:29: McCamey misses for Illinois - rebound to Wisconsin

• 13:39: Hughes is fouled in act of shooting and will go to the charity stripe. Makes first and makes second as well = Wisconsin leads 43-30

• 13:47: Pruitt called for foul to stop the clock

• 14:12: Pruitt gets fouled by Hughes and they count the basket (goaltending) - bonus free throw is no good= Hughes scored all points in this half for Illinois

• 14:30: Hughes scores on lay-up = Wisconsin ahead 41-28

• 15:05: Missed shot by Frazier - rebound to Stiemsma, who calls TIMEOUT before falling out of bounds

• 15:33: TV TIMEOUT

• 15:33: Pruitt scores for Illinois and draws the foul

• 15:40: Landry misses for Wisconsin

• 16:05: Another missed shot by Illinois - they are really struggling

• 16:26: TIMEOUT ILLINOIS Wisconsin starts 2nd half outscoring Illinois 10-4

• 16:30: Flowers hits another 3 and Wisconsin goes up by 13

• 16:50: Flowers misses shot but Randle misses at other end

• 17:10: Butch tied up by Pruitt, but ball stays with Wisconsin

• 17:31: Pruitt scores again, 10 point deficit

• 17:45: Another shot by Krabbenhoft to put Wisconsiun up 12

• 18:00: Pruitt scores on lay-up for Illinois

• 18:25: Krabbenhoft on a lay-up at other end

• 19:06: missed shot by Wisconsin but Krabbenhoft saves the ball and Landry scores a 3 to give them a 10 point lead

• 19:44: Illinois turns it over on a travel

• Illinois will get the ball first

• Wisconsin leads Illinois 29-22 at the half

• Landry leads Wisconsin in scoring with 7 points, and Hughes and Stiemsma have 4 each.

• For Illinois, Brock has 7 points, and Pruitt has scored 6.

• More First Half Stats: Wisconsin is 12-25 (47%) from the field and 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Illinois is 9-25 (36%) from the field, and just 1 of 6 from beyond the arc.

• 0:02: Hughes hits jumper at the end of the half

• 0:44: Missed shot by Wisconsin and then a travel call against Illinois

• 1:17: Good defensive series by Illinois there and Pruitt scores at other end

• 1:54: Another missed 3-pointer by Illinois

• 2:05: TIMEOUT ILLINOIS = Wisconsin leads 27-20 Largest lead for Badgers at the half

• 2:08: Hughes scores on quick lay-up

• 2:17: Missed 3-pointer in the corner

• 2:42: Landry misses shot - great defense by Brock forcing bad angle shot

• 3:02: Missed free throw by Brock on 1-and-1

• 3:02: TV TIMEOUT

• 3:13: Hughes commits foul on Brock on offensive rebound as Brock falls on top of Flowers

• 3:49: Jarmusz hits 3 for Wisconsin = 25-20 Badgers

• 4:05: Randle misses shot but puts rebound home, cuts it to 22-20

• 4:38: Hughes misses another shot and an offensive foul is called on Butch

• 5:03: Hughes misses 3-pointer and Illinois misses transition shot at other end

• 5:35: Wild shot missed by Frazier inside

• 5:43: OFFICIALS TIMEOUT

• 5:46: Landry scores on put back

• 6:10: McCamey hits a big 3-pointer that cuts lead to 2 - TIMEOUT WISCONSIN

• 6:34: Missed shot inside by illinois

• 6:50: Great pass to Steimsma inside for easy basket

• 7:31: Brock steals pass and scores lay-up

• 7:51: Pruitt misses first shot and makes second: 18-13 Wisconsin leads

• 7:51: Pruitt gets fouled by Butch - TV TIMEOUT - Wisconsin continues to show patience with the ball at the offensive end, frustrating Illinois, who wants to run and push the action.

• 8:01: Ball knocked out of bounds but ball stays with Illinois

• 8:21: A 3-pointer by Butch gives Wisconsin largest lead 18-12

• 8:37: Brock hits lay-up to stop 11-2 Wisconsin run and cut deficit to 3

• 9:06: Butch gets shooter's roll on jump hook - Wisconsin lead is 5

• 9:33: Missed shot and an offensive foul on Pruitt for over-the-back

• 10:01: Flowers hits 3-pointer to give Wisc 13-10 lead

• 10:29: Meachem called for offensive foul - charging, his 2nd foul

• 10:43: Landry misses and ball out of bounds to Illinois - both teams shooting 33% from field

• 11:13: Illinois shot blocked as a jump ball and on alternate possesion arrow - turnover to Wisconsin

• 11:40: TV TIMEOUT - Wisconsin is always very deliberate when getting a defensive rebound or defensive turnover forced, they will slow the game down rather than transition into a fast break. Illinois showing why they've pulled two straight upsets in this tournament, with patient shooting and tenacious defense.

• 11:40: Flowers misses and a foul called for over-the-back, called on Butch of Wisconsin

• 12:00: Steal by McCamey and he goes all the way to slam it home - tied at 10-10

• 12:19: Davis misses shot for Illinois - rebound Wisconsin

• 12:33: Foul by Flowers of Wisconsin

• 12:50: Jordan is fouled

• 13:03: Flowers hits 3 after Landry misses, and Wisconsin has first lead at 10-8

• 13:31: Turnover by Randle and Wiscons takes over

• 13:58: Landry hits 3 for Wisconsin to cut it to 8-7

• 14:07: Foul called for reach inon McCamey of Illinois

• 14:17: Brock makes first shot and then hits second to give Illinois an 8-4 lead

• 14:17: Brock fouled on lay-up attempt

• 14:35: Flowers misses lay-up... and then Randle steals the ball

• 15:05: Brock hits running jumpoer in lane for Illinois

• 15:13: Stiemsma hits jumper for Wisconsin to tie game at 4-4

• 15:22: TV TIMEOUT = Illinois leads 4-2 - Both teams struggling with opening game jitters

• 15:55: Randle had shot blocked after making steal for Illinois - Tremendous block by Landry for Wisconsin

• 16:33: Missed 3 by Illinois but they grab 2 rebounds and Pruitt puts rebound back = 4-2 ILL

• 17:02: Landry scores for Wisconsin - tied at 2-2

• 17:28: Randle scores first basket for Illinois = 2-0 ILL

• 18:02: Missed shot again by Krabbenhoft

• 18:47: Back-to-back steals and missed shots at either end - sloppy so far

• 19:00: Missed shot by Hughes

• 19:45: Missed shot by Pruitt - rebound to Wisconsin

• Opening tip goes to out of bounds - ball to Illinois

• The surprising Fighting Illini, who entered the tournament with a losing record this season, is looking to become the second team to win the championship by winning 4 games in the tournament (Iowa in 2001). They are also looking to not only win an all-time best 3rd tournament title in this the 11th tournament held, but to also avenge thei only championship game loss to Wisconsin in 2004.

{{:Big Ten Tournament}}