March 15, 2008
Welcome to the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals! Our second game features the No. 6 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers (20-12, 8-10) and the No. 10 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (15-18, 5-13).
4:22 p.m. EDT: We are off and away!
1st, 14:15, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 7, Minnesota 4
Perhaps there are some folks a little tired from playing four games in four days... Both teams are off to a sluggish start with Illinois 2-of-7 from the field and Minnesota is 2-of-8. The Golden Gophers already have four fouls called against them to Illinois' one.
1st, 11:41, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 9, Minnesota 5
Shooting is now 2-of-10 for Minnesota and 3-of-10 for Illinois.
1st, 6:23, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 22, Minnesota 14
The pace has picked up here in the last five minutes. Illinois' Shaun Pruitt is leading the team with nine points and four rebounds. Minnesota's Dan Coleman is pacing the Gophers with six points. Both teams have tried to open up the perimeter game, but Minnesota is 1-of-4 and Illinois is 1-of-5 from beyond the arc.
1st, 3:52, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 23, Minnesota 17
Let's talk free throws. Illinois is 8-of-9 from the line, while Minnesota is just 2-of-8. For the record, Illinois ranked 11th in the conference this year with just a 62 percent conversion rate from the line. Minnesota was eighth at 67 percent.
1st, 0:14.1, TIMEOUT (MINN): Illinois 29, Minnesota 21
HALFTIME: Illinois 29, Minnesota 23
We are at halftime and credit goes to Illinois for a solid first half. The Illini maintained their lead throughout, despite sluggish shooting. Illinois is shooting 48 percent on 9-of-19 from the floor. Shaun Pruitt leads all scorers with 12 points.
2nd, 14:51, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 32, Minnesota 28
Minnesota has brought it back to within three here.
2nd, 11:19, TIMEOUT (ILL): Illinois 32, Minnesota 32
Illinois has not scored in more than four minutes. That spell has allowed Minnesota back in the game. Illinois calls for a 30-second timeout on a loose ball. That timeout has been extended to a full.
2nd, 11:10, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 32, Minnesota 32
Illinois is just 1-of-10 from the floor this half, while Minnesota is 3-of-5. Minnesota's Lawrence McKenzie has 10 points for the Gophers. Pruitt continues to lead Illinois and all scorers with 12.
2nd, 10:25, TIMEOUT (MINN): Illinois 32, Minnesota 32
Tubby needs 30 seconds...
INSIDE THE SERIES: History does not bode well for the Golden Gophers against the Illini. Minnesota has dropped 19 straight games to Illinois and all three Big Ten Tournament contests (1999, 2002, 2005) in the series. Illinois is 103-57 all-time against Minnesota and captured two wins in the regular season by scores of 84-60 and 67-58. It seems as if this one could be much closer today!
2nd, 8:14, TIMEOUT (MINN): Illinois 39, Minnesota 35
Illinois has found the basket since the last break, scoring five quick points, but Minnesota just answered with a 3 of its own.
2nd, 6:55, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 41, Minnesota 35
Both teams are currently 13-of-34 (.382) from the floor right now, although Illinois is 4-of-15 from the field this half. Minnesota's Dan Coleman and Illinois' Chester Fraizer each have three personal fouls, but they are the lone players in foul trouble.
2nd, 6:00, TIMEOUT (ILL): Illinois 42, Minnesota 38
2nd, 3:54, TIMEOUT (MEDIA): Illinois 44, Minnesota 40
2nd, 2:04, TIMEOUT (ILL): Illinois 50, Minnesota 42
Minnesota has started to put full-court pressure on the Illini, in an attempt to force turnovers. The Illini were just one second shy from committing a 10-second backcourt violation, but Bruce Weber bailed them out with a full timeout.
2nd, 1:55, TIMEOUT (ILL): Illinois 50, Minnesota 42
Yet another Gopher trap, but Weber bails his team out from a 5-second call with a 30-second timeout.
2nd, 1:03: Illinois 52, Minnesota 46
Minnesota's Lawrence Westbrook has fouled out of the game.
2nd, 0:20.2, TIMEOUT (MINN): Illinois 54, Minnesota 50
DON'T COUNT OUT THE ILLINI: With a win today, No. 10 seed Illinois would be the second team in the history of the Big Ten Tournament to advance to the championship final seeded 10th or lower. The first occasion was in 1999 when the 11th-seed Illinois squad advanced to the final before falling to No. 1 Michigan State, 67-50. Ironically, that year Illinois and Minnesota met as well in the tournament. The Illini defeated the No. 6 Gophers, 67-64, in the first round.
FINAL: Illinois 54, Minnesota 50
Illinois has won this game and will advance to the Big Ten Tournament Championship to face No. 1 seed Wisconsin. Shaun Pruitt scored 16 points and Brian Randle added 11 points in the win. Illinois was 44 percent from the floor, while Minnesota shot at a 39 percent clip. The Illini out-scored Minnesota 22-16 in the paint and 15-11 off turnovers.
