February 7, 2013; Illinois vs. Indiana (Layup Heard Round the World)
The Illinois basketball team has had a rough ride as of late. They have missed the NCAA Tournament way too many times in the last decade.
Despite the rough time, many fans have been through, there was a great moment in 2013 that no fan will ever forget.
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Illinois entered the game against the No. 1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers with a record of 15-8. They were floundering after a 12-0 start and needed a boost to their NCAA resume.
The game didn’t start exactly like the Illini wanted. They weren’t playing well and they finished the first half down 41-29.
The second half was a different story for this Illini team, though. They weren’t going to be embarrassed on their home court by the Hoosiers.
Illinois fought back and actually tied the game up at 72-72. Indiana had the ball dribbling for a last second shot, but when Victor Oladipo dribbled to the right side of the lane everything changed.
Illinois stole the ball and DJ Richardson went up for a layup to win the game but had it blocked out of bounds.
With only .9 seconds left in the game, Illinois was looking for a miracle. That is what they received.
Tyler Griffey came off a big screen and received the inbounds pass for a wide open layup to beat Indiana 74-72.
I am getting goosebumps just typing those words. This is one game I wish I could have attended so I could have screamed with the fans instead of screaming by myself in my empty apartment.
Next: Next Game: Hoosier Meltdown