Illinois basketball

Sophomore forward Jordan Geronimo attempts a dunk during the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal on March 11, 2022, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Indiana beat Illinois ...

Both Galloway and Phinisee helped Indiana’s defense hold Illinois to 6 points in the final five minutes, all of which came from free throws. Jackson-Davis made the first free throw and missed the second, but Illinois, with no timeouts left, had no opportunity for a last second shot. Johnson shot at a lackluster 5-15 clip from the field, but still finished with 13 points, four rebounds, six assists, two steals and just one turnover. However, sophomore guard Andre Carbelo missed a layup after driving the length of the court to the rim. Thompson’s 2-2 effort from 3-point range accounted for two-thirds of the team’s points from long range. Illinois junior center Kofi Cockburn, who finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, made a pair of free throws to take a 63-62 lead with 33 seconds left to play. We were playing both sides of the ball well.” However, Cockburn sent Jackson-Davis to the free-throw line with a foul. While Indiana’s showing in the conference tournament is likely enough to make the NCAA Tournament, senior guard Xavier Johnson and junior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis both reiterated just making the semifinal isn’t their goal. On Friday, it continued its winning ways and likely punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament by taking down No. 1 seed 65-63 Illinois in the quarterfinals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. When Indiana faced Illinois earlier this season on Feb. 5, Jackson-Davis scored just 6 points on 3-9 shooting in a 17-point loss. “Illinois was a bully today, and I think we took care of that problem.

Nope, just a locked-in defensive performance against the conference co-champion, the No. 1 seed in this year's Big Ten tournament. Indiana never let the Illini ...

The Illini struggled from the line a bit in this one (15-of-23, 65.2 percent), which mattered in a game this tight. For Jackson-Davis to hit both those shots on consecutive possessions with the season on the line was nothing short of impressive. And perhaps most unlikely, with the game on the line and an open 15-footer available, Jackson-Davis confidently knocked it down to give Indiana a one-point advantage with 4:12 to go. He finished the contest with 21 points (9-of-13) and nine rebounds. While it wasn’t the 19-2 outscoring he gave Hunter Dickinson yesterday in the second half, Jackson-Davis did not wilt against Kofi Cockburn. Jackson-Davis backed him down hard for scores. This was a grind-it-out victory, nothing assured till the final buzzer sounded, both teams defending at a high level and finding the slim advantages where they could.

After ending the regular season losing seven of nine, IU is making an improbable run in Indianapolis. Indiana is making its fifth Big Ten Tournament semifinal ...

In total Jackson-Davis had nine points in the final 4:41. Point guards can make or break you on the road, and Indiana’s Xavier Johnson and Rob Phinisee combined to go 3-of-12 from the field with eight turnovers against seven assists. The Hoosier defense also held the Illini without a field goal for over nine minutes of action in the first half. It was all about the Murrays as Keegan Murray had six offensive rebounds and Kris had five. The Hoosiers scored .99 points per possession, a meaningful jump over their .87 in the first meeting against the Illini. IU has also won two tournament games in a single year for the first time since 2003.

IU all but guaranteed itself a place in the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years Friday, with a 65-63 win over No. 1 seed Illinois.

Jackson-Davis finished with 21 points and seven rebounds, and almost certainly booked his team a place in its first NCAA tournament in six years. He even passed the ball well out of the post, a more recent development in Jackson-Davis’ game and often a bellwether of how well he’s playing game by game this season. In a back-and-forth first 20 minutes, each side endured stretches of scorelessness and barren shooting performance.

The Hoosiers will likely go dancing for the first time since 2016 after a huge Big Ten tournament quarterfinal win.

Jackson-Davis, meanwhile, scored a team-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists. Illinois forward and National Player of the Year candidate Kofi Cockburn hit four free throws in a two-minute span to give his team a 63–62 lead. Indiana has likely punched its ticket to the Big Dance following its stunning 65–63 upset of top-seeded Illinois in the Big Ten tournament on Friday.

Illinois led at halftime 33-31. The Hoosiers were led in the game by Trayce Jackson-Davis with 21 points. Xavier Johnson had 13 points and 6 assists, and Race ...

The Illinois guards dominated the first meeting, but they were matched on Friday by Indiana in a physical grinder of a game. Indiana didn’t have Rob Phinisee in the first meeting, but his defensive presence was a factor, along with Trey Galloway, who also added eight points with two assists on the offensive end. The Illini were never able to get on a good run, and IU held them to just 12-of-34 from 2-point range. But in the last 4:41 he scored 9 points including two clutch free throws and a jump shot. The Hoosiers were led in the game by Trayce Jackson-Davis with 21 points. Indiana big man Trayce Jackson-Davis had 15 second half points and beat his nemesis Kofi Cockburn in the process.

The Illini now wait for Sunday's announcement of where the team will head in the NCAA tournament field.

Jackson-Davis then made the first of two free throws with 1.7 seconds to go. Jackson-Davis knocked down two free throws with 26.1 seconds left to put the Hoosiers ahead 64-63. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Illinois basketball starts their journey to win another Big Ten Tournament title on Friday against the Indiana Hoosiers. This is a huge game for multiple ...

One of his biggest games this season actually came against the only game Illinois played against Indiana. And I want to win back-to-back Big Ten Tournaments. That has never happened in the history of Illinois basketball. Frazier has been big for the Illini this season on both ends of the court.

Indiana hooks up with Illinois in the first quarterfinal of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday morning.

The season-ending win against Iowa was the third straight victory for the Illini and helped them get over a stretch where they went just 3-3 and almost saw their title hopes go down the drain. The Illini will be a big favorite, but the Hoosiers have their home state crowd behind them and will be looking to build off their huge second half against Michigan. The Hoosiers were down 60-43 but held Michigan without a field goal for nine minutes and slowly came back to survive and get a much-needed win against the Wolverines.

Junior center Kofi Cockburn goes up for a defensive rebound during the game between Illinois and Indiana at Gamebridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The No. 1 ...

Cockburn made both free throws, giving Illinois a one-point lead.But on the other end, Cockburn fouled Jackson-Davis as soon as he touched the ball in the post. Johnson scored again, but Curbelo cut the lead to one again, slicing to the hoop with a lefty scoop. Indiana took advantage, scoring on its next possession when Galloway blew by his defender for a layup.Down one with 1:45 on the clock, Curbelo turned the ball over to Galloway’s who, with as clear a lane to the basket as anyone has ever seen, lost the ball off his foot, possibly saving Illinois’ season.With 41 seconds remaining, Illinois went to a Curbelo-Cockburn pick-n-roll, and Curbelo found his running mate in the paint before he was fouled. Frazier brought the ball up the court and attempted to pass to Hawkins on the right wing, but Hawkins was not ready and the ball sailed out of bounds.“I’m very disappointed in myself for turning the ball over down the stretch,” Frazier said after the game. After 20 minutes Illinois led, 33-31, despite going without a field for over nine minutes in the opening 10 minutes of play.Johnson opened the scoring for the Hoosiers in the second half for Indiana. On the other end, the Hoosiers fronted Cockburn, who caught an entry pass but lost the ball with an open lane to the hoop. His free throws gave Indiana its first lead of the second half with 13:27 on the clock.Johnson scored a basket extending the lead to three. With nine minutes remaining, Indiana led by six.Illinois cut the lead to three when Hawkins hit his third triple of the night followed by a defensive possession where Cockburn swatted Thompson’s floater like a fly. Jackson-Davis then spun around Cockburn and laid in a reverse layup to give Indiana a 47-42 lead.After a media timeout, the Illini fed Cockburn on back-to-back possessions. Illinois led, 39-38.With his team up one, fifth-year senior guard Da’Monte Williams found Frazier, who knocked down his second three of the day, but 20 seconds later, Indiana sharpshooter Race Thompson matched Frazier with a three of his own.As Johnson drove to the paint looking to take the lead for Indiana, Payne rotated over and blocked his shot, but Thompson would grab the rebound and get fouled while shooting. The duo of Jackson-Davis and senior guard Rob Phinisee carried the Hoosiers, as they found ways to keep the score close.The Illini led, 30-27, when senior guard Xavier Johnson intercepted a pass from Frazier, which led to another basket for Phinisee. Holding a one-point lead with 55 seconds left in the half, Illinois slowed the pace, allowing Frazier to find Hawkins in the corner for another triple, his third of the half.The Hoosiers followed Illinois’ lead and used all 30 seconds of the shot clock before Phinisee hit a floater in the paint.On the final play of the half, Hawkins found himself open for another three but missed. During that time, the Hoosiers spread the ball around, with each member of the starting five scoring a basket.With 13 minutes on the clock, Indiana led, 13-9. Top-seeded Illinois men’s basketball crashes out of Big Ten tournament, falls to No. 9 IndianaJunior center Kofi Cockburn goes up for a defensive rebound during the game between Illinois and Indiana at Gamebridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The No. 1 Illini fell to the No. 9 Hoosiers, 65-63, and was eliminated from the Big Ten tournament.