WHAT HAPPENED

Illinois found a way after a series of close losses this season. And did so after an 11-point halftime deficit. Makira Cook was really good throughout. But Genesis Bryant took over in the fourth quarter with 12 points in the final period. That Camille Hobby also delivered nine points in the fourth quarter, as well, with the high-low game working to great effect helped the Illini produce a key 73-68 win before 4,788 fans on Sunday afternoon at State Farm Center.

WHAT IT MEANS

It’s the win of the season for Illinois. One of the Quad II variety for the Illini, too, with Minnesota entering Sunday with a NET ranking of 35 as a potential NCAA tournament team in Dawn Plitzuweit‘s first season in Minneapolis. More importantly for Illinois (9-10, 3-6 Big Ten) it was significant from the standpoint the Illini had lost eight of their 10 games this winter by a combined margin of 44 points. Illinois was the more poised team when it counted on Sunday, however.

WHAT’S NEXT

A rematch with Michigan. The first game in Champaign was the Illini’s worst performance of the Green era, as the Wolverines made quite the statement with an 84-48 rout of Illinois in the Big Ten opener for both teams on Dec. 10. The Illini head to Ann Arbor to face Michigan (14-7, 5-4) ahead of a 6 p.m. Wednesday tip at the Crisler Center. The Wolverines have had an up and down month of January, which included a 82-61 loss at Michigan State on Saturday afternoon.

WHAT WAS SAID

“Just really proud of these guys and the resiliency we’ve shown in this game and really in the past month or so. This is a really good Minnesota team. A really good team with a lot of weapons. … We have been talking about finishing and really just saying, ‘We’re going to win this game.’ These guys did that and they had the confidence and they had the execution and they had the effort, and it was really a fun thing to watch. … This was a really critical game for us.” — Illinois coach Shauna Green