Illinois superior to the NCAA Event second spherical.
AP
PITTSBURGH — The consequence didn’t make sense to Brad Underwood. For the higher a part of 39 minutes Friday night time, the Illinois coach watched his fourth-seeded group chasing Thirteenth-seeded Chattanooga.
The Southern Convention champion Mocs, with alum and Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Terrell Owens cheering them on, smothered Illini All-America heart Kofi Cockburn. They took double-digit leads in every half. They responded each time the Illini made a push.
The Illini didn’t panic. They dug in behind Cockburn and guard Alfonso Plummer, whose go-ahead free throws with 12 seconds to go helped them pull out a 54-53 NCAA Event win that perhaps they didn’t deserve however will definitely take.
“I advised (Chattanooga coach) Lamont (Paris) they performed higher than us, and we simply occurred to have extra factors than them on the finish, and we led on the proper time,” Underwood stated.
The one time it mattered.
The Huge Ten co-champions will play both fifth-seeded Houston or Twelfth-seeded UAB on Sunday after narrowly avoiding turning into the seventh group to fall to a double-digit seed.
“We simply sort of hung in there,” Underwood stated.
Plummer scored 13 of his 15 factors within the second half, together with three 3-pointers that saved Illinois (23-9) inside placing distance. The 7-foot Cockburn, warding off our bodies left and proper, completed with 17 factors and 13 rebounds whereas absorbing 11 fouls. His putback with 45 seconds left gave the Illini the primary of simply two leads they held all night time.
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“It wasn’t irritating,” Cockburn stated. “I’ve been going by that each one 12 months. In all probability all my entire profession. I feel it was simply one other problem. That is the NCAA Event, and issues get robust.”
Chattanooga nonetheless had two possibilities to select up its first NCAA Event win since 1997 within the closing seconds however sophomore star Malachi Smith missed twice. His runner with 4 seconds left was blocked by Coleman Hawkins. Smith chased down the rebound and pulled up from about 12 toes, however the ball clanged off the rim and into Hawkins’ palms, capping a 4 for 20 efficiency for the Southern Convention Participant of the Yr.
“My mindset was, I simply received fouled the final possession, so I attempted to do it once more, and simply going too quick,” Smith stated. “After which fortunately received the rebound, after which received a shot that I felt like in case you’re gonna get a shot for the win, that’s a shot you’ll take.”
In contrast to the Mocs’ extra time thriller within the Southern Convention ultimate — which ended with a game-winning 30-foot heave by David Jean-Baptiste — this time there can be no last-second heroics.
“And it’s irritating as a result of it’s a shot I work on rather a lot, and it didn’t go in,” Smith stated. “And that’s all I can say. I simply let my teammates down, and I simply missed a shot that I often make.”
Illinois didn’t precisely gentle it up both. Senior Trent Frazer missed all six of his photographs however did make two free throws with 3:37 to go. Andre Curbelo was 1 for 7. The Illini made simply 3 of 17 3-pointers, turned it over 14 instances — together with a few baffling passes to nowhere that sailed out of bounds — and survived anyway.
“You’re relieved, you’re inspired,” Underwood stated. “And, once more, I’ve been on this factor sufficient to realize it’s actually simply each recreation is gonna be shut, and there (are) only a few blowouts, and it’s ‘Survive and advance.’ And actually, you're taking them any method you will get them.”
Paris promised to throw a number of our bodies at Cockburn in an effort to maintain the 7-footer in verify. It labored early, because the Mocs harassed him almost each time down the ground.
It led to a whole lot of pushing, a whole lot of shoving and — for some time — a whole lot of fouls. Josh Ayeni and Silvio De Sousa every drew three whistles within the first half alone. Cockburn struggled to take benefit, lacking 5 of 8 free throws early earlier than he and the Illini began to get right into a rhythm after the Mocs had been pressured to go small.
“He received a pair (of) straightforward ones, however I feel for probably the most half, he earned a whole lot of the stuff that he received,” Paris stated of Cockburn. “And he’s a great participant.”
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