Published: March 15, 2008 08:52 pm            

Illini emerge from 10th seed advancing to Big Ten finals

INDIANAPOLIS — Illinois continued to work its way through the Big Ten basketball tournament on Saturday, holding off Minnesota 54-50 to move on to the Big Ten title game at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Conseco Fieldhouse.

“It would be an understatement to say we’re not excited to be here in this situation,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “We had a game tonight where they tied it up. They seemed to have the momentum and we made some big plays.”

It’s the sixth Big Ten championship game that Illinois will be a part of, the most of any school in the tournament. Overall the Illini are 21-8 overall in the Big Ten tournament - the most wins by any school.

On Saturday, Minnesota only led the Illini once - in the first half on the opening bucket. Minnesota never lead again and only tied Illinois once.

“They did what they had to do to get the win today,” Minnesota coach Tubby Smith said. “They’re one of the best defensive teams, one of the best rebounding teams.”

Every time Minnesota made a run or cut the lead, Illinois pushed to a safe distance.

They tied at 32-32 midway through the second half when the Gophers started the half on a 9-2 run. Illinois answered on a 7-0 run of its own and jumped to a 39-32 deficit.

“This is something we’ve struggled with all year,” Weber said. “We’d hit these walls and we don’t find a way around them or through them. Now for some reason, I don’t know if they realize it’s the end of the season, that this is do or die, or whatever, they have finally come together and they understand they’re doing it as a team.”

Minnesota cut the deficit down to three, 41-38 before Illinois took a 9-2 rally to jump to a 50-40 lead.

Illinois hit a couple from the charity stripe and Minnesota went 3-for-4 from the line along with a 3-pointer in the remaining 2:13 to send Illinois to the Big Ten championship game.

“We’ve had our problems but we have been playing better,” Smith said. “And certainly, no doubt about it, our fans have been excited about it.”

Illinois will take on Wisconsin Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Badgers defeated Michigan State, 65-63 to move on to the championship game.

The winner of the game gets an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.



Jim Johnson writes for The Lebanon Reporter in Lebanon, Ind.

        

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