Not of Ayo Dosunmu a chance at the end of the games. Because, most of the time, the likely All-American will get the most out of it.
With Illini losing 61-56 at Big Ten Nebraska cellar resident with less than four minutes left, Ayo Dosunmu again donned his Superman cape at the end of the game and saved the day for number 6 in Illinois.
Dosunmu (31 points in 12-of-23 FG) scored 17 of Illini’s 21 final points to defeat Nebraska 77-72 in overtime and save Illini (14-5, 10-3 Big Ten) from a potentially huge blow in his quest for a Big Ten Championship and a No. 1 seed from the NCAA Tournament.
Dosunmu scored his fourth performance of more than 30 points of the season, hitting 8 of 14 shots during the second half and the combined overtime against the Cornhuskers (4-12, 0-9 Big Ten) to prevent Illinois from suffering its first loss on the Quad 3rd Station. No other Illini scored a field goal in the final 12:48 of the game.
Kofi Cockburn (21 points, 13 rebounds) had a slow start, like his team, with just two points and a rebound in the first 15 minutes. But he dominated the middle of the game to notches his 14th double-double of the season. Adam Miller (10 points, seven rebounds) and Trent Frazier (10 points) also ended with double-digit points.
Lat Mayen led Nebraska with 16 points. He scored seven points before Illinois scored one point and then did two clutch trios with less than four minutes left to give Nebraska a six-point lead that Dosunmu eradicated. Trey McGowens and Teddy Allen each added 15 points.
Illinois has now won five consecutive games overall and four consecutive Big Ten games on the road, the longest conference winning streak since Illini won 13 consecutive games from February 2004 to February 2005. Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg he is now 2-27 during his first two seasons in Nebraska and is 0-14 against qualified opponents.
Match statistics: Nebraska defeated Illinois for most of the game and overtaken Illinois 40-39 and had an 18-9 lead on second chance points. Both teams fought on the foul line at the end of the game with Illinois making 11 of 17 and Nebraska making 12 of 20 during the final 25 minutes.
What it means: Maybe Illinois was still thinking about Michigan’s first place – the opponent who was supposed to be on the schedule this week before a postponement – because he wasn’t ready to go to Nebraska on Friday night. Illini seemed to have overcome their initial lackluster efforts in the games during their winning streak, but the team fell on Friday and is fortunate to have the star power and closer to overcoming those problems. This is not the most important game in the Big Ten title race this weekend – which belongs to Michigan in Wisconsin on Sunday – but for Illinois to make it a race, he needed to take care of business against the worst Big Ten team. And despite his worst efforts at times, he found a way to win, which keeps the pressure on the Wolverines who chose to postpone their Thursday night showdown against the Illini after returning from a two-week break, though Michigan women have played on Thursday. Illinois has a favorable game series – as favorable as possible in the Big Ten, at least – and has a chance to really put pressure on Michigan. But the same kind of effort on Friday would likely cause them to lose a game during the next leg.
Game star: Ayo Dosunmu didn’t have a great first 35 minutes, but the All-American put Illini on his back to take a much-needed victory from the grip of defeat. There is not much else you can say about your closing ability. He’s the best college basketball player.
Do not neglect: Adam Miller and Da’Monte Williams played a great supporting role, especially in the glass (combining for 12 rebounds). They also combined for three blocks and were probably Illini’s best defenders for the night. On a night where Andre Curbelo and Giorgi Bezhanishvili fought, the Illini needed that kind of boost from the Peoria natives.
What is the next: Illinois returns to Champaign for the penultimate home game of the season – assuming that Illinois plays its home game against Nebraska on March 2 or 4, as scheduled in Illini’s official calendar – with a complaint Tuesday at 8 pm against the Northwestern. Since the start of the Big Ten season 3-0 and gaining a national ranking, the Wildcats (6-11, 3-10 Big Ten) have lost 10 consecutive games against a brutal schedule that includes 10 consecutive games against the top 30 KenPom teams . Northwestern plays for the Rutgers on Saturday before arriving in Champaign. Northwestern got a 43-28 lead at the break over Illinois, but the Illini overcame Northwestern 53-13 in the second half. Wildcats are 11th in the Big Ten in offensive efficiency and last in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency.
