After losing in the Intercollegiate National Wheelchair Basketball Championship last season to Wisconsin-Whitewater, the Illinois men’s wheelchair basketball had a mission since September: to take that title back.
That mission was completed after the Illini defeated Wisconsin-Whitewater, 66-59, in Marshall, Minn. Illinois dominated Alabama 78-45 to put the Illini in the championship game.
But the championship game would not be as easy.
The Illini were down by eight at halftime, but with the leadership of the tournament MVP, Steve Serio, the Illini came back to score 42 points in the second half.
Women’s softball loses Big Ten opener in rough start
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No. 18 Illinois opened its Big Ten season Saturday in Ann Arbor, Mich., but it was not the start the Illini were looking for.
Illinois lost 7-1 against No. 2 Michigan only scoring one run in the fourth inning off of Meredith Hackett’s solo home run.
The Wolverines showed the Illini why they are ranked No. 2, hitting three home runs and shutting Illinois out, striking out 11 batters.
This game puts Illinois at 23-4 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten.
The Illini looked to get back on track Sunday but the game was canceled due to rain. The game will not be rescheduled later in the season.
Women’s golf secures team tournament title in Fla.
Early wet conditions didn’t stop the Illinois women’s golf team from winning its first team tournament title since the Illini Spring Classic in 2008. The Illini took first at the University of Cincinnati Spring Invitational in Crystal River, Fla., over the weekend.
During the first and second rounds Friday, the Illini overcame the conditions on the par 72, 6,032-yard Plantation Inn golf course.
But the team shot a first-round 299 and a second-round 293, leaving it 16-over par and six strokes ahead of second-place Stetson heading into Saturday.
After the first two rounds, individually the Illini had three players in the top 10. Sophomore Hailey Koschmann was in second place after shooting 72-71 and being one under par for the tournament. Koschmann had her first career hole-in-one on the third hole of the second round.
On Saturday, the Illini capitalized on their lead and finished strong, tallying a final round of 301 for a total of 893, 29 over par in order to secure their victory. Illinois’ 893 is the second-lowest 54-hole tournament in program history.
From Daily Illini staff reports
