Illinois had made it through Upset Saturday unscathed, earning a No. 6 ranking and securing pole position for the Big Ten’s stretch run. All the Fighting Illini needed was a win over mediocre Penn State, and they would return home satisfied and relaxed for Saturday’s matchup with Northwestern.
But things didn’t go according to plan.
Penn State, fueled by a career-high 27 points from guard Titus Ivory, stunned Illinois 98-95 in overtime Wednesday. Despite trailing by 12 points early on, the Nittany Lions dominated the second half and the extra session, sinking the Illini with eight three-pointers after halftime. The usually sound Illinois defense sagged, and four Penn State players scored in double figures.
Although the setback likely will drop Illinois (16-5, 6-2 Big Ten) from the top 10 and the conference’s top spot, the news may be worse for the hapless Wildcats (8-13, 0-8), who face the fuming Illini at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Champaign.
“I don’t think it helps,” NU coach Bill Carmody said. “It’s a good team, and you’re playing them at their place, so it is a little different. I would have preferred that they had won.”
NU is coming off its first win since a 63-61 upset of No. 16 Southern California on Dec. 27. Wednesday night’s game against a subpar Buffalo squad provided the Cats with plenty of opportunities to dominate in the paint. NU shot 50 percent from three-point land and ran the floor with ease against the soft Bulls defense.
Forward Tavaras Hardy had one of his best performances of the season in that game, lighting up the Bulls for 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting. But Hardy will be hard-pressed to find the same freedom on the interior Saturday with Illini skyscraper Brian Cook towering in the lane.
“You might get the ball in the same position, but now is (Hardy) going to be able to make some of those shots in the lane?” Carmody said. “And it’s not just one guy – it’s two guys, three guys, four guys, five guys. Even when subs come in, we give away 4 inches with each guy.”
NU proved it could keep pace with Illinois when the two squads met Jan. 17 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. A strong second-half surge by the Cats cut the deficit to one, 44-43, before Cook hit four consecutive putback layups to seal the victory. Poor perimeter shooting doomed NU – it shot a paltry 16 percent from behind the arc.
Despite the end result two weeks ago, the Cats were satisfied with their effort.
“We know we can hang with them – we were one point down late in the second half,” guard Winston Blake said. “So that’s a plus. But it’s about just finishing the game, and that’s what we need to do Saturday.”
Illinois will use anger, weapons such as guards Frank Williams and Cory Bradford, and even a little history – both ancient and recent – to its advantage when NU steps inside Assembly Hall.
Since they eked out a 18-13 win in 1908, the Illini have been NU’s toughest opponent, dominating the all-time series 112-33. And like most Big Ten teams, Illinois has been unbeatable on its home floor, posting a 9-0 mark.
“It gives you such an advantage,” Carmody said. “You’re used to the rims, the court, the fans – all the familiarity, it all plays a part.”
