No. 14 Illinois survives overtime thriller, beats Nebraska 87-84

(25News Now) – There’s an old adage that basketball is a game of runs and that certainly held true on Sunday night in Champaign. No. 14 Illinois sustained Nebraska runs and made a few of their own en route to an 87-84 overtime victory over the Cornhuskers at State Farm Center.

After trailing 38-36 at halftime, the Illini began the second half on an 11-2 run to lead 47-40. They then stretched the lead to 10 points with just under four minutes remaining. Then it was Nebraska’s turn for a run.

The Cornhuskers ripped off 11 straight points and took the lead on a basket from Bradley transfer Rienk Mast with nine seconds to play. The Illini elected not to call a timeout and Marcus Domask was fouled with three seconds to go and a chance to win the game at the free throw line. The 89% free throw shooter knocked down the first of his two free throws but uncharacteristically missed the second as the game went to overtime tied at 73.

Illinois led for most of the overtime period and had a chance to ice the game at the free throw line with an 87-84 lead with under two seconds to go. Terrence Shannon Jr., though, went 0-for-2 at the free throw line giving Nebraska a chance to tie on a halfcourt heave at the buzzer. But Keisei Tominaga’s shot careened off the backboard and Illinois escaped with an 87-84 victory.

Coleman Hawkins led the Illini in scoring on the night, scoring a team-high 20 points while reeling in 7 rebounds and dishing out five assists. Marcus Domask added another 19 while Shannon scored 18 for the Orange & Blue. Ty Rodgers had an incredibly productive night, scoring 8 points and grabbing a remarkable 15 rebounds.

Nebraska’s Keisei Tominaga led all scorers with 31 points while Bradley transfer Rienk Mast scored 22 for the Cornhuskers.

With the win, the Illini move into a tie with No. 6 Wisconsin for second place in the Big Ten. They return to action next Saturday, February 10 when they visit Michigan State.

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