Rapid Reaction: Illinois Hangs on Late to Beat Indiana
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Indiana kept scratching and clawing and making big plays on Sunday at Illinois, but all of its hard work still came up short. Illinois hung on to win a wild Big Ten game, 67-66, keep their Big Ten hopes alive and putting Indiana squarely back on the NCAA tournament bubble.
The final minute and change was crazy. Indiana guard Rob Phinisee made a three-pointer with 1:14 to go to get the Hoosiers within two points at 65-63. The Hoosiers forced a tough shot from Ayo Dosunmu with 48 seconds to go, and he missed. Trayce Jackson-Davis got the rebound.
Indiana junior guard Al Durham took a three-pointer that missed everything He complained that the ball was blocked, but the play was reviewed and Illinois kept the ball.
With 33 seconds to go, Da'Monte Williams was fouled, but he missed the front end of the one-and-one and Jackson-Davis got another rebound. After a timeout, Indiana went inside to Jackson-Davis and he was fouled. The Hoosiers, who have struggled from the free throw line for much of this season, were a perfect 10-for-10 at the line before Jackson-Davis stepped up. He missed the first one, though, and then missed the second one, but Indiana got the rebound.
The ball wound up back in Phinisee's hands, but Illinois' Andres Feliz came up with a steal in a scrum and quickly called timeout, even though it looked on replay that he didn't have posssesion of the ball when he called it. Dosunmu made both free throws to put the Illini up by four at 67-63. Phinisee hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to make it 67-66, but it was too little too late.
"I like the put the team on by back and come through for them,'' Illinois' Ayo Dosunmu said of his two free throws and a key three pointer that had put the Illini up 65-60. . "I told them I got this one, that I could beat my man off the dribble and get a shot.''
Cockburn and Jackson-Davis have been the two most decorated freshmen in the league this year and they didn't disappoint. Jackson-Davis had 12 points and 12 rebounds, with the missed free throws the only blemish on his day.
Cockburn finished with 15 points and five rebounds, with most of his baskets coming in the second half to put Illinois ahead. He had only three first-half points and his teammates got on him at halftime.
"Kofi was big-time. He was much better in the second half, Dosunmu said. "We got on him at halftime that he wasn't playing hard enough, and he came out and responded. He had a great second half.''
As much as Indiana has struggled on the road in the Big Ten this season, it was important for Indiana to stay engaged early, and it did a nice job of getting back in the game after Illinois jumped out to a 10-4 start. From there, the game went back and forth the entire half, with the period ending tied at 36-36.
No one led the game by more than seven points all day, and every time Illinois took a lead, Indiana reeled them back in.
Durham led the Hoosiers with 13 points, one of four guys in double figures. Devonte Green had 11, Phinisee had 12 and Jackson-Davis had 12. Indiana made 8-of-16 three points and 10-of-12 free throws. They also outrebounded Illinois 39-31.
With the loss, the Hoosiers fell to 18-11 overall, and 8-10 in the Big Ten. To secure an NCAA tournament bid, they will likely need to win their final two home games against Minnesota on Wednesday and Wisconsin on Saturday.