BOSTON — They shot free throws like they were wearing blindfolds, and were forced to play without star Terrence Shannon Jr. for several key minutes during crunch time. Whenever the Illinois menR…
Illinois guard Terrence Shannon Jr. celebrates after his dunk against Iowa State during the first half of the Sweet 16 college basketball game in the men’s NCAA Tournament, Thursday, March 28, 2024, in Boston. BOSTON — They shot free throws like they were wearing blindfolds, and were forced to play without star Terrence Shannon Jr. for several key minutes during crunch time.
Shannon’s steal and dunk with 26 seconds left turned out to be the fatal blow in a wild ending in Boston. Shannon led the Illini with 29 points, and they overcame an atrocious night at the free throw line to advance to their first Elite Eight since 2005.coach Brad UnderwoodUnderwood said the Illini “missed 102 free throws” in the first half. In truth, they missed 14 of 29 free throw attempts on the night, keeping Iowa State in the game longer than necessary.
“It’s not necessarily we’re looking at them like ‘Man they’re good,'” guard Luke Goode said. “We’re just looking at it like an opportunity to play another game. That’s really what it is. They have a historical program. They’re coaching staff is obviously elite. They just came off a national championship.”
Iowa State quickly pulled to within two and was seemingly about to pull even when Keshon Gilbert missed a layup. Dain Dainja, who played only three minutes in the first half, answered by muscling inside for a layup. The teams traded punches in the final minutes before Shannon split a pair of free throws and Curtis Jones’ layup cut the Illini lead to three at 67-64. Shannon split another pair of free throws before his steal off Milan Momcilovic and the ensuing slam iced the Cyclones for good.
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