No. 2 Illinois stored more than one Iowa State comeback makes an attempt at bay in a 72-69 win over the No. 2 Cyclones Thursday evening to advance to the Elite 8.
Illinois had a 10-point halftime lead that Iowa State briefly lower into originally of the second one part. However Illinois stretched the lead again out to more than one possessions.
That cycle repeated itself for a lot of the second one part, whilst Illinois megastar Terrence Shannon Jr. spent just about 5 mins at the bench with 4 fouls. No longer lengthy after Shannon went to the bench with 11:17 to head upon getting his fourth foul, Iowa State two times lower Illinois’ result in two. However the Cyclones by no means were given the sport tied.
Shannon completed the sport with 29 issues and had a game-sealing dunk with 25 seconds left after he intercepted a cross with Illinois main via 4.
Illinois is a win clear of the Ultimate 4
Illinois will play protecting nationwide champion UConn on Saturday for the danger to advance to the Ultimate 4 out of the East area.
Illinois hasn’t been again to the Ultimate 4 since 2005 when it misplaced to North Carolina within the nationwide name sport. Heck, the Illini haven’t even been to the Elite 8 since then. Within the 18 years since that Ultimate 4 look, Illinois has misplaced in the second one spherical 5 instances and been eradicated within the first spherical thrice.
Thursday evening’s Candy 16 look was once at risk of being a unhappiness due to Illinois’ struggles on the unfastened throw line. The Illini had been simply 15 of 29 on the stripe. That 10-point lead can have been 15 at halftime. Illinois ignored 9 unfastened throws within the first part.
However as Illinois struggled on the line, it all the time got here up with the large play when Iowa State were given shut in the second one part. Coleman Hawkins had 12 issues and hit a large 3-pointer early in the second one part as Iowa State was once threatening.
And with simply over 4 mins to head, it was once Lance Goode’s flip to hit a large 3-pointer.
However it was once Shannon who was once as soon as once more the megastar of the display for the Illini. The country’s third-leading scorer has scored a minimum of 25 issues in every of the ultimate seven video games. All seven of the ones video games are Illinois wins.
That is no twist of fate. Shannon is among the absolute best avid gamers within the nation and a large explanation why Illinois has an outstanding offense. But it took a restraining order for him to be at the court docket for the second one part of the season.
Shannon was once suspended in December after he was once charged with rape for an alleged sexual attack in Lawrence, Kansas, in September.
After his suspension, Shannon filed for a short lived restraining order to stick at the court docket and pressure Illinois to reinstate him to the crew. That restraining order was once granted after Shannon ignored six video games. He returned to the basketball court docket on Jan. 21, two days after he was once put again at the crew.
Iowa State’s struggles on the rim
As Illinois had a difficult time making unfastened throws, Iowa State performed like there was once a lid at the basket within the paint. The Cyclones ignored myriad pictures on the rim and had been simply 17 of 45 from throughout the arc.
The Cyclones additionally were given off to a coarse get started. Illinois briefly jumped out to the result in get started the sport as Iowa State’s Curtis Jones scored 11 of the crew’s first 12 issues. And he was once at the bench to begin the sport. Jones completed with 26 issues to guide the Cyclones, whilst Keshon Gilbert had 14.
Iowa State ends the season at 29-8 as the varsity remains to be looking for its 2nd Ultimate 4 look and primary since 1944. The Cyclones have not been to an Elite 8 since 2000 and at the moment are 0-4 within the Candy 16 within the 24 years since.