Freezing cold conditions did not stop the dedicated Illini fanbase from filling up the stands of the State Farm Center on Sunday as the No. 10 Illini took on the Maryland Terrapins. The sea of orange was left disappointed, however, as Illinois were upset by a 76-67 result.
There were no changes to the starting five for Illinois, as sophomore guard Ty Rodgers, junior guard Luke Goode, graduate student forward Marcus Domask, graduate student forward Quincy Guerrier and senior forward Coleman Hawkins took the floor for the tipoff.
Goode led the way from the start, shooting a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc to boost Illinois to an early eight-point lead. The early momentum sparked by the junior allowed the Illini to enjoy a comfortable cushion over the Terrapins, and halfway through the first half Illinois led by a 20-11 scoreline.
The Illini began to slow down around the seven-minute mark and allowed the Terrapins to fight their way back within two points. The red-hot shooting from Illinois began to fizzle out and with it came careless turnovers. Maryland, on the other hand, began to score the ball much more efficiency led by Jahmir Young.
At the 3:09 mark, the Terrapins leveled the score at 33-33 after a triple from Noah Batchelor before Julian Reese earned the visitorsʼ first lead of the night at the 1:43 mark. Two free-throw makes from redshirt junior forward Dain Dainja reclaimed the lead for Illinois seconds later.
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With the entire arena on its feet for the final minute of play, Dainja continued to ignite the crowd with a smooth spin and finish at the rim. By the end of the half, the Illini were holding on to a narrow 39-37 lead.
Maryland came out of the break strong with four quick points before Domask put Illinois back on top with a triple. A nervy back-and-forth ensued as the Illini fought to hang on to their one-point lead amid growing frustration around the arena. The Terrapins soon put themselves back in front 16:32 mark, much to the dismay of the home fans.
Hawkins managed to bring some life back into the building after a big block and subsequent fastbreak layup, but the Illini were unable to take advantage of the momentum. Nothing fell as the Illini fell into a two-minute scoring drought.
Rodgers ended the drought at the 9:17 mark, but Young continued to score for Maryland, boosting the visitorsʼ advantage to eight points at 60-52.
Despite Domask and Hawkins fighting back on the scoreboard with a couple of big buckets, the Illini still faced a seven-point deficit heading into the final four minutes of the game. The State Farm Center got loud as Illinois battled its way back within three points, but the final minute proved to not be enough. The mountain proved to be too difficult to climb and with too little time, the Illini sunk to a 76-67 defeat.
Illinois (12-4 overall, 3-2 B1G) will be back in action on Thursday as it takes a trip up north to battle Michigan in Ann Arbor.
@james_kim15
