That wasn’t the only thing on the line for the Illini, though. If Illinois would have on, they would have earned the coveted double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Well, that sadly didn’t happen.
I honestly felt like Illinois had control for most of this game. The Illini were up 11-6 five minutes into the contest. That lead was extended to nine points by the 10-minute mark in the first half. Ohio State would make a charge and tie up back up, but Illinois was able to take the lead back and went into halftime up 37-30.