INDIANAPOLIS — There haven't been many occasions this season in which the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team has trailed by a double-digit margin. Even fewer have been instances in which the Badgers have faced a deficit that large during the second half.

But that was the situation eighth-ranked UW was presented with during Saturday's Big Ten Conference tournament semifinal against Michigan State — 12 points behind with 8 minutes, 15 seconds to play.

Ultimately, though, the Badgers were able to find themselves in a winning position thanks to a rally capped by a steal and layup by senior guard Michael Flowers with 27.2 seconds to go that resulted in a 65-63 victory over the No. 19 Spartans at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"I don't think words will adequately describe what these guys did in the comeback," said UW coach Bo Ryan, whose team will face Illinois (16-18) in today's championship game. "I think probably the best thing to do is put it on a DVD and watch it again and just make your own observations."

Those on hand or watching on television had the opportunity to observe the Badgers (28-4) maintain their composure despite a rocky stretch early in the second half that saw the Spartans (25-8) turn a 30-29 lead into a 39-29 advantage in less than 3 minutes.

UW's heavy lifting, though, came after Michigan State pushed its lead to 53-41 at the 8:15 mark following a 3-pointer by freshman guard Kalin Lucas.

"The game plan no matter what the score is, is to continue to make good decisions, get good shots," UW junior swingman Joe Krabbenhoft said. "When you're down, you feel a little sense of urgency. And I think that's a good thing. ... It just gets us going a little bit."

The Badgers made their move via a 16-5 run following Lucas' 3-pointer, a surge that pulled them within a point.

Sophomore guard Jason Bohannon converted a four-point play after being fouled on a 3-pointer; senior center Brian Butch (team-high 19 points) made three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt; junior forward Marcus Landry (18 points) made a pair of free throws; Krabbenhoft (11 points) split a pair of free throws; Butch made a 3-pointer from the right wing; and Landry capped the stretch with a 3-pointer of his own to pull UW within 58-57 with 3:50 to play.

"We had some momentum going," Krabbenhoft said. "Even though we were down, we were feeling good about ourselves that we were going to win the game no matter what."

The Badgers — who made 26 of 37 free throws, including 13 of 19 in the second half — were feeling even better after Landry fed Krabbenhoft for a layup that tied the game at 61 with 2:26 to play. Landry then answered a jumper by Lucas with a pair of free throws to tie the score at 63 with 1:41 to play.

"One of the first things (Ryan) said when we came in the locker room was, 'You guys scored a lot when the clock was stopped, and that's one of the main keys in a comeback,' " Krabbenhoft said. "We all knew as basketball players that if we can get to the free throw line and get the clock to stop moving, that's huge."

UW had the chance to take the lead after Lucas missed a jumper with 1:21 to play, but Flowers turned the ball over in traffic in the paint and Michigan State called timeout with 50.3 seconds to go.

Flowers, though, redeemed himself on the defensive end by stealing a Lucas pass intended for hot-shooting Drew Neitzel on the perimeter and racing the other way for a layup that put UW ahead for good.

"(Lucas) tried to drive on (Bohannon), and he jumped in the air, so his only option was to pass it," Flowers said. "I just stuck my hand out, tipped it, and then just outran Drew for what turned out to be the game-winning layup."

After Bohannon missed a pair of free throws with 7.6 seconds to play, a last-ditch 3-point attempt by Neitzel was off the mark just before the final horn.

"I saw an opening, so I pulled up," said Neitzel, who scored a game-high 26 points. "I saw (Brian) Butch coming out on me, and I just missed it. He had a good contest. I had to get it over him. I didn't want to get it blocked. I wanted to have at least a chance of it going in. He made a good play on the ball."

And after a hard-fought 40 minutes, the Badgers were able to make good again.

"It speaks volumes about our team," Bohannon said of UW's comeback. "It just shows how focused and determined we are. And when we all buy into the same thing at the same time, we can be a very special team."