ST. LOUIS – Sometimes it takes prayer. Sometimes it takes foul trouble. Sometimes it takes a second chance. Sometimes it takes a Texan.

And sometimes Illinois’ seniors – not the heralded junior class – carried Illinois on the biggest stage to the program’s first national title game.

Really, it’s fitting for Illinois to be one of the final two teams left because of its seniors and post play. If both didn’t improve as much as they did this year, Illinois would not be where it is now.

Weber started the season by saying Illinois would go as far as the seniors would take them. I think a Final Four win is appropriate then, when the seniors scored 34 of the Illini’s 41 second-half points.

Illinois’ weakness the last two years has been its post play. Well, weakness is not a good word. Not the Illini’s best attribute may be a better way to put it. Illinois could not have gotten past Louisville if the post was truly a weakness.

“I think they stood up and made a difference and got us to the championship,” said Illinois head coach Bruce Weber.

With the three-point shot not falling – and Illinois continuing to shoot it – the game could have turned into a Cardinal rout. Senior forwards Jack Ingram and Nick Smith, plus a stingy Illinois defense, wouldn’t let it happen. Ingram and Smith played with a sense of urgency. They didn’t want their season to end one game too early.

The seniors weren’t going to let Illinois go down just because Dee Brown and Deron Williams weren’t scoring. Ingram did what he always does – throw some people around, snag a few boards and hit the open jump shot.

While Ingram’s performance has become the norm, Illinois had no idea what it would get out of Smith. Illinois had no choice but to play Smith with fellow senior Roger Powell Jr. in foul trouble.

Smith questioned why he didn’t play against Arizona in the Elite Eight. He may have a legitimate point. He didn’t spend his time on the court sulking over the Arizona game as may have been expected.

Smith came through in the most important stretch of his Illinois career. He didn’t take the game over. He just played within his game and kept the Illinois lead from evaporating. It’s not much, but it was enough to keep the Illini ahead at the half.

“I got lucky and made a couple of shots tonight and Jack hasn’t missed in six months,” Smith said.

Luck may have been with Smith, but divine intervention may have sided with Powell Jr. as he showed once again the power of prayer.

The Reverend needed some guidance after sitting most of the first half because he committed two early fouls and prayed at halftime. He asked for confidence and strength.

Well, he found both. And it only led to the Reverend playing the half of his life.

He could do no wrong – not that he would want to anyway. There were fade away threes. Five-foot jumpers. And the play of the game, a put-back dunk off the Reverend’s own missed shot.

Basketball is often said to have gods watching over it and it can be a religion for those playing it. If so, then the Reverend’s performance will go down as a sacred one.

“My father told me when he saw that play it was like an angel came down,” Powell Jr. said.

The angel in orange still needed help to win the game. Louisville wouldn’t go away. So enters Illinois prodigal son – Luther Head. Three. Swish. Three. Swish. Three. Swish. Illinois was in the championship.

Just think, what if Weber would have let Head quit last year after his run-ins with the law? The leader inside the soft-spoken senior would never have made its way to the surface. The millions of NBA dollars would be a dream, not a soon-to-be reality. Who knows where Head would be without the Illini – and vice versa.

But together, they are on the verge of something Illinois has never accomplished. A basketball championship.

All it takes is just one more performance. Carry the Illini one more time and the unheralded seniors may finally get some of the credit they deserve.

While holding the championship trophy.