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Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Iowa State

By Rees Woodcock

LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 20: Terrence Lewis #24 of the Iowa State Cyclones makes a break for a loose ball during the second half of the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images)
LAHAINA, HI - NOVEMBER 20: Terrence Lewis #24 of the Iowa State Cyclones makes a break for a loose ball during the second half of the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /
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LAHAINA, HI – NOVEMBER 20: Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones is double teamed but Andres Feliz #10 and Da’Monte Williams #20 of the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first half of the game at the Lahaina Civic Center on November 20, 2018 in Lahaina, Hawaii. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Images) /

The Illinois basketball team dropped their third game in a row on Tuesday night as they fell to the Iowa State Cyclones.

This wasn’t a good loss. In fact, the way Illinois fell to Iowa State was ugly. They had a lead and blew it. The Cyclones beat down the Orange and Blue. And, to top that, they did it with a controversial recruit who was eyeing the Illini at one time. That is adding salt to the wound.

Iowa State and Illinois kept the game close for the entire first half. Illinois had a four-point lead at the 10:00 mark but the Cyclones stormed back. The Illini only had a one-point lead with five minutes left in the half. They actually ended up extending that lead as well. Illinois took a 39-34 lead into the halftime locker room after Aaron Jordan made a jumper with 26-seconds left.

The happiness for the Illini fan base quickly dwindled as the second half carried on. Illinois ended up losing their halftime lead less than two minutes into the second half. Iowa State took the lead 42-41 at the 17:03 mark and never looked back.

Iowa State continued to extend the lead and even got it to 17 points on multiple occasions. Illinois didn’t have much fight in the second half and ended up dropping the game to the Cyclones, 84-68.

Here are five observations from the Illini loss to Iowa State.

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