Things appeared to be changing in the Big Ten.
A Northwestern win over Illinois on Saturday would have put the Wildcats in a fifth-place tie in the standings with last year’s co-Big Ten champions and inched them one step closer to a first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
But the Fighting Illini weren’t ready to pass the torch to the up-and-coming Cats just yet.
No. 16 Illinois (21-7, 9-5 Big Ten) held NU (16-10, 7-7) to just 28.6 percent shooting, including 0-for-17 from three-point land, as it routed the Cats 56-41 before a sold-out crowd at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The loss snapped a five-game home winning streak for NU and left seniors Tavaras Hardy and Collier Drayton with a bitter defeat in their final appearance at home. In the first Senior Day at Welsh-Ryan Arena in three years, Hardy and Drayton were honored before the game. But Drayton said the flurry of emotions was no excuse for the poor performance.
“It’s emotional,” Drayton said. “That’s something you’ve got to swallow. We had to come out and play.”
With an energetic crowd on hand, NU seemed prepared. But the Illini simply proved to be the better squad.
While the Cats’ style of play has often left opposing coaches scratching their heads, NU head coach Bill Carmody was the one befuddled after Saturday’s loss. Illinois’ defense prevented the Cats from hitting a single jump shot the entire afternoon, and it held NU to its lowest point total of the season.
The Illini defense often forced NU to take tough shots. And even when the Cats got open looks, they had trouble connecting, shooting just 18.2 percent in the first half.
Although the Cats repeatedly attacked the basket and drew fouls, they hit just 13 of 30 free throws (43.3 percent).
“They just dominated us,” Carmody said. “I haven’t figured out exactly what went wrong. If you’re 0-for-17 from three-point range, are they just all bad shots or jitters? I don’t think so. I think most of it is because there’s a hand in your face, and that’s to their credit.”
Both teams were ice cold from long range in the early going. NU was 0-for-8 on three-pointers in the first half, while Illinois was 0-for-7 from long range in the game’s first 14:30.
But that was the end of the Illini’s shooting woes.
With 8:42 remaining in the first half, Illinois guard Cory Bradford sparked a 23-5 Illini run by scoring off an offensive board. Illinois center Robert Archibald followed with five straight points. Teammate Lucas Johnson then came off the bench to spark a 6-0 run of his own, which included a three-pointer and three free throws.
Although Illinois star guard Frank Williams didn’t record a single bucket during the nine-minute run, he helped cap the game-breaking spurt with a behind-the-back, wrap-around pass to Bradford. The guard then nailed his second straight shot from behind the arc as time expired in the first period. The shot vaulted the Illini to a 35-13 halftime lead, effectively ending NU’s chance to win an 11th game at home this season.
“We couldn’t stop them, we couldn’t score,” Carmody said. “When you’re down 20 at halftime, it’s hard to come back.”
The Illini began the second half right where they left off. After Hardy scored the first points of the half on a tip-in, Illinois scored the next eight. Bradford drove along the baseline for a layup, and guards Sean Harrington and Luther Head each followed with three-pointers from the top of the key.
The Cats outscored Illinois by seven in the second stanza, but they couldn’t threaten the Illini lead. Illinois led by at least 20 points until a Hardy free throw with 5:29 remaining closed the deficit to 19.
“I thought the second half … was one of those deals where, by the 15-minute mark, I think the guys lost a little intensity,” Illinois head coach Bill Self said. “But I was still happy that there was some good defense.”
Despite shooting just 34.8 percent after the break, Illinois knocked down 50 percent of its shots in the first half and 43.1 percent in the game. Bradford and forward Brian Cook led the way for the Illini, tallying 12 points each.
Guard Jitim Young was a standout for NU, recording 11 points and four steals. But the Cats didn’t have much else to be happy about.
“Words can’t describe it,” said Drayton, sagging his head after the game. “We know we can play better. We’ve proved that all year long. We were down 22 at the half and we only had 13 points. The stats speak for themselves – it was a rough game.”
