Terrence Shannon Jr. and Illinois have been the comeback kids so far in the Big Ten Tournament, but they’ll have one more obstacle to overcome as they take on Wisconsin in the title game Sunday.
Illinois is seeking its second title in the last four seasons and its fourth overall as they take the floor Sunday, while Wisconsin is looking for its first conference crown since 2015.
Shannon has been key to that effort, with Illinois trailing by double-digits in the second half of their games against Ohio State and Nebraska. In Friday’s game, Shannon and Coleman Hawkins each made late free throws to help the Illini escape with a 77-74 win.
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Saturday was even more dramatic, with Illinois trailing by 15 points in the second half. Shannon ultimately took over the game, scoring a Big Ten tournament-record 40 points as the Illini stormed back for a 98-87 victory over the Cornhuskers to reach Sunday’s title game.
Wisconsin stumbled badly down the stretch in the regular season, losing seven-of-nine games at one point in February and March.
They have now won four of their last five games, including three consecutive contests in tournament play. That stretch includes a dramatic victory over top-seeded Purdue on Saturday, with Max Klesmit hitting a go-ahead jumper with eight seconds left on the clock to earn the victory for the Badgers.
Chucky Hepburn scored a team-high 22 points in the game, and AJ Storr continued his strong tournament with 20 points and six rebounds for Wisconsin.
Big Ten
Sunday will mark the second meeting of the season between the two schools. Illinois captured a 91-83 victory over the Badgers in Madison on March 2, with Marcus Domask scoring 31 points and hauling down eight rebounds in a tremendous performance for the Illini.
The rematch will tip off at 2:30 p.m., and will air on CBS.