Illinois Avoids Late Collapse Before Holding Off Nebraska In Overtime

It wouldn't have been a game in the Big Ten if not for a late-game comeback.

That's just how it is these days.

And the Illinois Fighting Illini almost fell victim to it Sunday against Nebraska. The Illini nearly blew a late 10-point lead but hung on for an 87-84 victory in overtime at State Farm Arena.

“Typical day in the Big Ten,” Illini coach Brad Underwood said. “It's the best league in the country. Great players. Great coaches."

The Illini led 72-62 with 3 minutes, 29 seconds left before the unraveling began. They were outscored 11-1 the remainder that allowed overtime.

"I think we just got a little out of whack offensively, not much movement and we had to shoot some tough shots," Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins said. "Defensively, they hit some tough shots coming down the court ... They kept competing. They didn't hang their heads. They stayed in the game."

The Illini eventually regrouped to hang on, improving to 17-5 overall and 8-3 in the Big Ten. Hawkins led the way with 20 points while Marcus Domask had 19 and Terrence Shannon added 18. Ty Rodgers also had eight points and 14 rebounds.

"I think it just goes to show the maturity of this team and how connected we are," Rodgers said. "We just stay together through any adversity, whether it's going good, whether it's going bad. I think that just shows a lot about who we are as a team."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com