Illinois’ offense led it to the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
The Illini’s defense helped keep them one win away from the Final Four.
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005 by defeating Iowa State 72-69 in the East Region semifinals on Thursday night.
Shannon had 20 points in the first half for the third-seeded Illini (29-8), who never trailed. He also had a theft and breakaway dunk Hitting two free throws in the final seconds and later helped Illinois eventually knock off the second-seeded Cyclones (29-8).
“When you face a No. 1 defense, you know they’re not No. 1 because they’re soft or lack effort,” Illini coach Brad Underwood said. “I also knew they were going to come out and punch or counter-punch, and that’s what they did.”
The Illini shot only 42% from the field, but they held Iowa State to 39% shooting and forced nine turnovers.
Illinois made the regional finals for the fourth time in the last 40 years and will face defending champion UConn on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four. The top-seeded Huskies had previously defeated San Diego State 82–52 in the East semifinals.
Shannon was limited to 29 minutes due to foul trouble but continued to be the Illini’s workhorse. He has not spoken to the media since he was charged in December with rape or an alternative count of sexual assault for an incident in Kansas in September.
The charge led to him being suspended for six games, before a federal judge overturned the ban, ruling that Shannon’s civil rights had been violated. Shannon’s lawyers have said he is innocent of the charges.
Underwood said Shannon has been a consistent presence throughout the season.
“People who know Terrence know what a great competitor he is,” Underwood said. “He was called a psychic.”
Curtis Jones scored 26 points and Keyshawn Gilbert had 14 points for Iowa State, which defeated Houston for the Big 12 Tournament title in March Madness.
The Illini have made the last four NCAA Tournaments under their seventh-year coach, but Underwood had never taken them past the first weekend until this year. Coleman Hawkins added 12 points and was the only Illinois player in double figures besides Shannon.
The Illini lead was cut to 68–64 with less than a minute left before Milan Momsilovic forced a turnover to Shannon, who hit a two-handed dunk with 24 seconds remaining.
Jones was fouled on a 3-point attempt and sank all three free throws to make the score 70–67, but Shannon calmly made two foul shots with 6 seconds remaining.
“We couldn’t take advantage of opportunities when they presented themselves,” said Iowa State coach TJ Otzelbarger.
The Cyclones struggled offensively in the first half, trailing 36-26 at the break, but found their rhythm after halftime. A floater from Gilbert got Iowa State within 51–49 with 9:46 remaining.
Gilbert then got a steal – one of Iowa State’s 11 – and sprinted for a potential tying layup, but he rolled off the rim.
Iowa State later missed another chance to tie it, this time due to Illinois’ Marcus Domask driving in and out. He completed a three-point play to make it 56–51.
When Iowa State got it back within three after a few possessions, Domask stepped up again and sank a 3 to push the Illini lead back to 62–56.
Illinois entered the night with the top offensive efficiency rating in the tournament, but it was its defense that stood out early.
The Illini’s game plan was to chase the Cyclones from the 3-point line and attempt contested shots inside the arc. It worked for most of the first half as Iowa State’s shooting percentage dipped below 20% near the midpoint. The Cyclones also had a scoring drought of more than five minutes.
“I think the game plan worked, forced those tough 2s, made them make tough shots,” Hawkins said.
Iowa State boasted the most efficient defense of the tournament and opened the game with a steal by Gilbert. But apart from the cyclone, there was nothing special in the first 20 minutes.
Illinois quickly jumped out to an 11–2 lead while Iowa State was held scoreless for nearly four minutes.
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No. 3 seed Illinois will take on the defending national champion UConn Huskies. The Illini and Huskies will meet for the first time on Saturday in March Madness.
UConn defeated San Diego State 82-52 in the first game Thursday. A rematch of last year’s national championship game failed to provide much drama, but the Elite Eight showdown between two of the best offensive teams in the country promises to be spectacular and entertaining for fans in Boston.
Game Saturday 6:09 PM ET | Is scheduled for 5:09 PM CT.
