MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The NIT Tipoff anticipated pairing unbeatens when No. 19 West Virginia meets Illinois at Barclays Center on Thanksgiving.
The Mountaineers (3-0) handled their part with a series of lopsided victories, but on Monday the Illini (4-1) lost 84-80 in overtime to Winthrop, squandering a 10-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation.
“It couldn’t have went any worse for us in that 10-point run,” said Illinois coach John Groce. “Everything’s got to go wrong for us and right for them for that to happen. We had a chance to close and didn’t.