5. One series changed Illinois’ fortunes
The struggles of the Illinois basketball team in College Park have been well-documented. Coming into the game on Saturday, the Illini hadn’t beaten Maryland on the road since 2011, and we dropped five straight to the Terrapins in College Park.
Beating Maryland on Saturday was a must. We needed to break this ugly streak, and moreover, Illinois needed to get a nice road win in the Big Ten to keep the hopes of the Big Ten regular season title alive.
Illinois managed to come out victorious. There were plenty of big shots and big plays throughout the game, but there was one series of events that changed everything.
It was 74-73 in favor of Illinois with 3:09 left in the game. Maryland was coming off two free throws that narrowed the margin to one point. Terrence Shannon Jr. missed a bad three-point attempt, and the ball went careening toward the out-of-bounds.
Coleman Hawkins saves the ball from going out of bounds and launches it over his head. Jahmir Young ends up with the ball and it looks like he is going to score at the other end to take the lead with just under three minutes to go in the game.
A score by Maryland would have continued their momentum. It would have given them the lead, and the crowds would have gone wild in College Park. Instead, this series changed everything.
The series of events that changed everything. #Illini pic.twitter.com/xQHwGWWvsP
— Writing Illini (@WritingIlliniFS) February 18, 2024
Marcus Domask got back on defense and forced Young to miss the layup. Justin Harmon hustled back down the court and got the rebound. This is what I was referencing in one of the previous slides. Harmon’s hustle and rebound just look like a rebound in the box score. No, this was a crucial board and huge effort.
Harmon then dribbles a few times and launches a great pass to a waiting Hawkins who then slams it home and gets a foul.
What could have been a layup and a lead for Maryland ends up turning into a three-point play for Illinois and a 77-73 lead. This one play changed everything. It was a five-point swing in favor of the Illini and momentum completely changed. Hustle won out.