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The Illinois Fighting Illini stumbled in the first half Saturday and came up a step short of the NCAA title game.
UConn knocked out Illinois, 71-62, in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Tarris Reed Jr. had 17 points and 11 rebounds and dominated in the first half, while teammate Braylon Mullins had a big opening half to give UConn the high ground, and a clutch 3-pointer in the game's final minute to hold off Illinois.
"The start to the game and then the finish to the game …" UConn head coach Dan Hurley said. "He (Mullins) got us here and then he got us off to a great start.
"There's nothing like the bus ride on Monday night over to the stadium, and you're one of the last two teams stannnnding."
Jaylin Stewart gave UConn its biggest lead at 57-43 with 9:44 left in the second half on a 26-foot 3-pointer. That gave the Huskies 11 made 3s in the game's first 30 minutes.
UConn committed its first turnover of the game on its 40th possession with 14 minutes left. The Huskies went cold, missing seven straight shots over nearly five minutes late in the second half.
Illinois capitalized, and got the game down to 57-53 with 5:01 left when Andrej Stojakovic cleaned up a second-chance layup.
UConn took a timeout, and counter-punched coming off the break to restore its lead to eight on a layup by Reed Jr., a defensive stop, and a big dunk by Solo Ball for 61-53 with 4:08 to go.
Again Illinois battled back and got within 63-59 on a layup by Keaton Wagler with 1:37 left.
UConn missed 10 of 12 shots during those late minutes. But Mullins – who had been scoreless in the second half – shook UConn out of it with a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 66-59 lead with 52.1 seconds left.
"We're so ready for the national championship game, this is what I came here to play for," Mullins said.
UConn raced out to an 18-9 lead in the game's first 6:30, riding big man Reed Jr. The 6-foot-11, 265-pounder poured in seven points and grabbed four rebounds in that opening stretch.
The Illini, who opened 0 of 5 from 3-point range, came all the way back to a 22-21 lead with 7:40 left when Tomislav Ivisic picked up a deflected ball and fired in a long 3 from straightaway.
UConn went five minutes without scoring until Reed put in a short turnaround hook for 23-22 lead with 4:40 left. Alex Karaban got his first points on a 3-pointer for a 34-24 lead with two minutes left, giving UConn its largest lead of the game.
The Huskies parlayed a 13-2 run into a 37-29 lead at halftime.
UConn did not have a turnover in the first half. Illinois did not record an assist in the first half. ... UConn's 37 points were the most allowed in the first half by Illinois in the 2026 March Madness tournament. ... Michigan head coach Dusty May and his assistants were on hand watching the game.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois eliminated from March Madness. UConn still standing once again
Continue reading...
UConn knocked out Illinois, 71-62, in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Tarris Reed Jr. had 17 points and 11 rebounds and dominated in the first half, while teammate Braylon Mullins had a big opening half to give UConn the high ground, and a clutch 3-pointer in the game's final minute to hold off Illinois.
"The start to the game and then the finish to the game …" UConn head coach Dan Hurley said. "He (Mullins) got us here and then he got us off to a great start.
"There's nothing like the bus ride on Monday night over to the stadium, and you're one of the last two teams stannnnding."
Jaylin Stewart gave UConn its biggest lead at 57-43 with 9:44 left in the second half on a 26-foot 3-pointer. That gave the Huskies 11 made 3s in the game's first 30 minutes.
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UConn committed its first turnover of the game on its 40th possession with 14 minutes left. The Huskies went cold, missing seven straight shots over nearly five minutes late in the second half.
Illinois capitalized, and got the game down to 57-53 with 5:01 left when Andrej Stojakovic cleaned up a second-chance layup.
UConn took a timeout, and counter-punched coming off the break to restore its lead to eight on a layup by Reed Jr., a defensive stop, and a big dunk by Solo Ball for 61-53 with 4:08 to go.
Again Illinois battled back and got within 63-59 on a layup by Keaton Wagler with 1:37 left.
UConn missed 10 of 12 shots during those late minutes. But Mullins – who had been scoreless in the second half – shook UConn out of it with a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 66-59 lead with 52.1 seconds left.
"We're so ready for the national championship game, this is what I came here to play for," Mullins said.
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UConn raced out to an 18-9 lead in the game's first 6:30, riding big man Reed Jr. The 6-foot-11, 265-pounder poured in seven points and grabbed four rebounds in that opening stretch.
The Illini, who opened 0 of 5 from 3-point range, came all the way back to a 22-21 lead with 7:40 left when Tomislav Ivisic picked up a deflected ball and fired in a long 3 from straightaway.
UConn went five minutes without scoring until Reed put in a short turnaround hook for 23-22 lead with 4:40 left. Alex Karaban got his first points on a 3-pointer for a 34-24 lead with two minutes left, giving UConn its largest lead of the game.
The Huskies parlayed a 13-2 run into a 37-29 lead at halftime.
Four Score
UConn did not have a turnover in the first half. Illinois did not record an assist in the first half. ... UConn's 37 points were the most allowed in the first half by Illinois in the 2026 March Madness tournament. ... Michigan head coach Dusty May and his assistants were on hand watching the game.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois eliminated from March Madness. UConn still standing once again
Continue reading...
