The combination of defensive miscues, a disappearing offense in the second half and a rare lost turnover battle added up to a 16-point loss for Illinois in the final game of the regular season. Penn State made the Illini pay for all three at the Bryce Jordan Center.
What it means
A first-round Big Ten tournament bye was on the line Sunday. The Illini didn't get it. Instead, they became the first team in program history to lose 20 games in a season and finished in the bottom four of the conference for the third time in four years.