For as much success as the Wisconsin basketball program has had throughout its history, it has never fared well in Crisler Arena.

However, for just the fourth time since Crisler was completed in 1967, Michigan failed to defend its home court against the Badgers, falling 72-61 Saturday in front of 13,751 fans for its first sellout crowd of the season.

Wisconsin went on an 18-4 run that gave the Badgers an 11-point lead early in the second half and never looked back.

The Wolverines had no answer for Wisconsin forward Mike Wilkinson, who scorched Michigan’s frontcourt for 28 points and grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds.

Michigan (3-2 Big Ten, 12-7 overall) tried to slow the senior down by using different matchups on defense, but there wasn’t much the Wolverines could do to extinguish his hot hand. Michigan coach Tommy Amaker was extremely impressed with Wilkinson’s play after the game.

“I thought he was maybe flawless,” Amaker said of Wilkinson. “I’m not sure if I’ve used that word before with a player, but it seemed like he was flawless in his play.”

Michigan’s frontcourt had difficulty guarding Wilkinson and was kept in check on the offensive end as well. Sophomore Courtney Sims finished the game with 10 points but scored eight of them in the first half when Michigan was still trading leads with Wisconsin.

Both Sims and junior forward Graham Brown picked up numerous fouls trying to slow down Wilkinson, who also hit two 3-pointers.

“(Wilkinson) is one of the best big men I’ve played against,” Sims said. “He’s very versatile, he can shoot and he’s tough to defend.”

Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan didn’t need to lean on just Wilkinson to hand Michigan its second-straight loss. The Badgers (4-1, 13-3) made runs at critical times of the game, especially late in the first half and early in the second half.

After Michigan tied the game at 30 with 3:08 left in the first half, Wisconsin went on the 18-4 run that put the game out of reach.

“Everything is pretty much executed to the ‘T,’ ” guard Dion Harris said. “They don’t rush anything; they don’t try to force anything. They just run their offense and play their game.”

Harris and junior Daniel Horton led Michigan with 16 points apiece, but Horton injured his right knee late in the second half. It was an especially tough blow, as Horton injured his left knee in practice a month ago and returned to the lineup on Jan. 5 against Iowa.

Amaker said after the game that Horton was “complaining” about his right knee, but he didn’t know his status.

Both guards had struggled from 3-point range throughout the game, going a combined 4-for-13 from long range. In addition, Horton couldn’t find his touch from the free throw line. An 81 percent free throw shooter, Horton went 2-for-6 from the line.

This was in stark contrast to Horton’s first game against the Badgers two years ago, when he hit the game-winning layup and blocked Wisconsin’s last shot to pull off a 15-point comeback.

The Wolverines were able to hang with Wisconsin in the first half with decent shooting from the field. Going 4-for-8 from behind the arc opened up the post for Sims and sophomore Brent Petway.

But in the second half, the guards cooled off and the frontcourt struggled. Amaker attributed the poor outside shooting to the inside-out game falling apart early in the second half.

“We didn’t shoot the ball well from the perimeter,” Amaker said. “If you don’t shoot it well from the perimeter, there’s no sense in people running out guarding you. So you’re going to sluff off in the inside, and it’s hard to get it in there.”

Petway had perhaps the most exciting plays for Michigan, when he blocked two consecutive shots on the same series. He finished with five on the game and recorded with his second career double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

With the loss, Michigan falls to 3-2 in the Big Ten and is currently tied for sixth place in the conference. With the next two games on the road in East Lansing and West Lafayette, the schedule doesn’t get easier for the Wolverines.

“Any time you lose at home, it’s a tough loss,” Amaker said. “We head on the road for our next two, so losing (Saturday) is a blow for our team.”