In what was a should-be win, the Illinois basketball team went to Ohio State and laid one of the biggest eggs of the season.
The Illini were entering this game as a 4.5-point favorite, and with some momentum on our side. We had won two straight, which included a victory over a ranked Northwestern program. Ohio State had lost nine straight games and 14 out of their last 15.
That didn’t matter, though. Illinois, once again, came out of the gates slowly and could never recovered. We got this game to within one point in the second half, but the Buckeyes would go on a little run to end all hope. Illinois would end up falling to Ohio State, 72-60.
Here are five observations from the Illinois basketball loss to Ohio State.
1. Illinois got good production from the bench
This was one of the more disappointing games I have seen out of the Illini. Even with the horrible loss to Ohio State, I am still taking some positives from this game.
I really liked what I saw from the Illinois bench overall. They all played hard and were big pieces for any hope that the Illini could win the game.
For the game, the Illinois bench would finish with 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block while going 6-of-13 from the field. They missed all five of their three-point attempts, but I think the bench players really helped facilitate our offense and secured some great defensive possessions.
The trio of Ty Rodgers, Sencire Harris, and RJ Melendez really have some great defensive chops. They can all shut down their man, and their rebounding is something to write home about.
Those three alone give 100% effort all of the time, and it is enjoyable to watch as a fan. I also think Luke Goode is going to get up to speed soon. It has been a few games since he returned from injury, but he still needs time to gel and get in the groove. He will with time.
No matter how bad the score ended up being, the Illinois bench was a bright spot for the Orange and Blue.