January 6, 2000; Illinois vs. Ohio State (Williams Magic)
This is one of the games I was alive for but was just beginning my Illinois fandom. Illinois came into the game as the No. 19 ranked team in the country to take on the No. 13 Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Illini that year were a talented team that was blooming. They were only 14-18 the previous season but that young talent developed into a contender.
Illinois had the lead for much of the game. They were even up as much as 12 in the first half. But, this Ohio State team was really good. They were coming off a Final 4 appearance the year before.
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With 5:43 left in the game Illinois actually extended the lead to 10 points. That didn’t last long, though.
Illinois lost the big lead and Ohio State tied the game up at 77-77 with 5.1 seconds left.
That is when the magic happened.
The ball was inbounded to Frank Williams and he brought it upcourt at a fast pace. He crossed half-court with just over 3-seconds left in the game.
With 1.5 seconds left on the clock, Williams turned at the top of the key and launched a three-pointer. It went in and the rest is history.
The Illinois players stormed the court followed quickly by a mob of fans. Williams’s legend grew and so did the prestige of Illini basketball. I only wish I could have been there.
Next: Next Game: Miracle Run