Illinois Doomed By 30-0 Run In Loss To UConn In The Elite Eight
The Illinois Fighting Illini had shown they were capable of playing from behind the past two weeks.
In the end, they ran out of rallies.
There was no comeback in a 77-52 loss to the Connecticut Huskies Saturday in the Elite Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Illini were on the receiving end of a 30-0 run that lasted from the end of the first half to almost midway through the second half. The Illini shot just 25 percent
The loss ended the Illini's seven-game winning streak. It also squashed their hopes of making the Final Four for the first time since 2005. After falling down 9-0 early, it appeared like they were headed toward another one of their second-half resurgences.
They rallied from double-digits, second-half deficits three times during the Big Ten tournament and started slow in the first round against Duquesne before coming back. But there was no miracle against the top-seeded Huskies.
The Illini tied the game at 23 on Marcus Domask's jumper with 1 minute, 51 seconds remaining in the first half. UConn then scored the final nine five points before halftime. They then unleased a 25-0 run to start the second half.
The Illini did not score again until a Justin Harmon layup with 12:39 left in the game. By then, they were down 53-25. It was a sour ending for Illini guard Terrence Shannon, who finished with just eight points on 2 of 12 shooting. He was averaging 28 points in the first three games of the tournament.
Domask led the Illini with 17 points but they had no answer for Huskies center Donovan Clingan. He dominated both ends of the floor, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds , four blocks and three steals.
It was the second straight blowout victory for the Huskies, who defeated San Diego State by 30 in the Sweet 16. It was their 10th consecutive double-digit victory in the tournament, dating to last year's championship run.
Anthony Pasciolla is a contributor to Illini Now. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com
ANTHONY PASCIOLLA