Don’t Make Ayo Mad - Emotional Illini Hold Off No. 18 Iowa 78-76
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Maybe the version of Illinois basketball an opponent would least like to see is one full of emotion and mad.
In front of a sellout State Farm Center crowd and against its most hated rival, No. 23 Illinois survived a 78-76 victory over No. 18 Iowa. In a game with multiple lead changes, multiple technicals and Iowa getting the basketball to arguably the league’s best player in the final seconds, Illinois figured out a way to scratch and claw its way to the final double-bye in the upcoming Big Ten Conference tournament.
In what was likely his final game in Champaign, Ayo Dosunmu had another closer type performance as the sophomore star had two mid-range pull-up jumpers to clinch the victory over a Hawkeyes team he doesn’t share any love for at all.
“It’s just we don’t like each other, simple as that,” Dosunmu said. “They want to kill us. We want to kill them. There’s no sweetie or nothing like that.”
Dosunmu, who ended with a game-high 17 points to go along with eight assists and seven rebounds, was referencing the rivalry between these two rosters that escalated last month at the end of Iowa’s win over the Illini in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
“Certain guys have it and he’s got it,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffrey said. “You got to just give him credit for making those shots. He’s done it all year long.”
The Chicago native, who obviously wasn’t honored with Illinois’ four seniors in this regular season, did take a bow and wave to the ‘Orange Krush’ student section at center court following the victory. Dosunmu returned to Illinois for his sophomore season for what he called “unfinished business” and added one more lasting memory to his college career in his home arena.
“Ayo is a different guy and I mean that in every possible positive format that I can come up with,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said.
With 1.6 seconds left, Iowa (20-11, 11-9 in Big Ten) got the ball to leading scorer Luka Garza in the lane but his 21st shot attempt of the night was partially rejected by Illinois freshman center Kofi Cockburn. In a meeting of two mammoth frontcourt talents not more than five feet from the front of the rim, the 270-pound Cockburn got the best of arguably the league’s best player in Garza. The rejection as time expired was Cockburn’s only block of the night but was the most important play of back-and-forth game to conclude league play.
“It was a pleasure playing against (Garza) and it was about matching his energy tonight,” Cockburn said. “I made sure he couldn’t outwork me tonight. On that last play, you know what is going to happen in that situation.”
Kipper Nichols, a fifth-year senior who has been an enigma throughout his college career, had his best game following his Senior Day celebration as he finished with 10 points and three rebounds in 18 minutes. Tyler Underwood, a senior who is the oldest child of the Illini’s third-year head coach, had two assists in his first career start.
Illinois built a 16-point lead with 11:32 left in the game but Iowa continued to find offensive momentum as the Big Ten’s leader in points per game connected on 9 of 19 from three-point range and was a perfect 15 of 15 from the foul line.
With the win Sunday, Illinois (21-10, 13-7 in Big Ten) clinches its highest finish in the Big Ten since at least 2011. Iowa will next play Thursday against the winner of the Minnesota/Northwestern first round game with the Illini getting whoever advances in that three-team pod on Friday afternoon. If the Hawkeyes can avoid a monumental upset Thursday, Friday’s matchup in Indianapolis will be the 2019-20 rubber match game between Iowa and Illinois.