CHICAGO — A season to forget ended with a game to forget.
In a back-and-forth, tightly contested overtime game between in-state rivals, Illinois (12-20, 8-13 Big Ten) topped Northwestern (13-19, 4-17) 75-69 though the Wildcats had the lead early the extra frame.
A.J. Turner and Dererk Pardon combined for 37 points, but a combination of Giorgi Bezhanishvili’s 26 points on 12-of-15 shooting and some late threes by the Illini guards sealed the win at the United Center.
With Vic Law in street clothes after suffering a shin injury in the final game of the regular season, the Wildcats’ offense struggled, particularly in the first half.