For 20 minutes, Illinois played defending champion UConn better — and closer — than any of Huskies’ previous three NCAA Tournament opponents. The Illini trotted into the locker room trailing just 28-23. Then, it happened — UConn scored the first 25 points of the second half over a 7 minute, 41-second span, part of a 30-0 run that cratered the Illini’s hopes reaching their first Final Four since 2005.
Illinois’ offense carried it through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Illini’s defense helped put them one victory away from the Final Four. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State 72-69 in an East Region semifinal on Thursday night.
The Illini opened the season thriving behind Terrence Shannon Jr., who established himself as one of the premier scorers in the nation. A woman told police she was at a bar when a man she later identified as Shannon grabbed her buttocks and then reached under her skirt and touched her sexually. The charge led to Shannon being suspended for six games before a federal judge reinstated him, ruling his civil rights had been violated.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — Following Thursday night’s watch party for Illini basketball, Illinois Athletics is doing it again. The Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that it will host another party at State Farm Center for the Illini men’s Elite 8 matchup on Saturday. The team will face UConn, the defending national champions and the No. […]
Colourful cocktails to try this Holi thehindu.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehindu.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.