Dee Brown clutched son Darrian’s hand as he stood in the tunnel looking out at the Assembly Hall arena. He stretched to see around the crowd of photographers and fans snapping pictures as James Augustine stood at center court with his parents and sister.

Brown and Augustine were honored Saturday in their last game at Assembly Hall. No pocket of the C-section remained empty as the Illini Nation bid farewell to two of its most beloved heroes.

“So many thoughts were going through my head,” Brown said. “It was a big game for us, but on the other hand, it was a big night for us, too.”

Saturday’s game was a mix of emotional reflection and driven competition, as No. 8 Illinois took on No. 20 Iowa in a rematch of the Jan. 5 contest that shattered Illinois’ 15-game winning streak. While the lead changed hands four times in the first 11 minutes, the Illini held on for a 71-59 victory.

With the win, Brown and Augustine became the winningest players in Illinois history. The players now have 111 wins each, one more than former teammate Nick Smith.

“Just being able to play on a team like this, to play at the University of Illinois in front of these fans with all the teammates I’ve had, I think that means a lot,” Augustine said. “To have the all-time winningest record and all that kind of stuff, that’s an accomplishment and I’m very proud of it, but I think the biggest thing is just to be able to play at this level in front of these fans and with these teammates.”

While Augustine vowed before the game that he would not be emotional, the hype helped him airball his first free throw and bounce the second off the backboard. He then picked up two quick fouls five minutes into the game and hit the bench for much of the first half.

“I never really get nervous for games, but I don’t know why I was so nervous for this one,” Augustine said. “I couldn’t even calm down. I was sitting on the bench with two fouls, still nervous.”

Brown struggled from the field, hitting just 2-of-12 shot attempts. But the point guard dished nine assists as underclassmen Rich McBride and Brian Randle led the Illini in scoring.

“They had special careers here,” said McBride, who had 15 points. “We wanted to send them off with a bang.”

In the game’s final minutes, with Illinois up by 10, coach Bruce Weber pulled his senior starters. The sold-out crowd roared to its feet for a standing ovation Weber said he hopes the players will long remember.

“That’s the snapshot they’ll always have in their minds,” Weber said. “To look up at the board and see they’re winning, see the fans going crazy.”