UConn beats cold-shooting Illinois 71-62, ending Illini's NCAA run in national semifinal

INDIANAPOLIS — The tears flowed.

They always do when the end of something this good, this worthwhile, comes too damn soon.

Alas, not this year.

Not this Illini team.

Someday, perhaps soon, Illinois will break through with its first men’s basketball national championship. Thirty-six Illini teams have gotten to the NCAA Tournament, winning a total of 50 games — second-most among schools that haven’t won the whole thing — but each endeavor has ended short of the mountaintop.

This one ended Saturday in a national semifinal against UConn, which turned out to be a cut above Illinois after all and won 71-62.

The Huskies (34-5) might not have better players than the Illini (28-9), but they rose to the occasion as though it were a matter of fact. Superstar coach Dan Hurley might not have better X’s and O’s scribbled on his whiteboard, but for stretches it looked like the Huskies knew a few things the Illini didn’t.

The fact Illinois' two lowest-scoring, worst-shooting games this season were against UConn — it was 74-61 Huskies the day after Thanksgiving — should give coach Underwood something to think about and wrestle with after the first Final Four appearance of his career.

But that can wait a bit.

“I feel sad,” coach Brad Underwood said, his voice catching. “I’m sad. If you want to know the truth, I’m sad.”

While the Illini bricked one three-point attempt after another — they finished 6-for-26 — the Huskies made enough of their own to outscore the Illini by 18 from behind the arc, a crucial area in which the guys in orange failed to deliver.

There were missed long shots that looked on target, missed short shots that confounded the Illini by not rolling in. Missed shots of all kinds, really, for a team that has been proud of its top offensive efficiency rating all season yet laid a 33.9% egg from the field on the biggest stage in college basketball.

“I’ve never seen that before,” senior Kylan Boswell said, wiping his eyes at his locker. “I’ve never personally shot layups and they’ve bounced in and out like how they did today. [Expletive] just happens. You can’t make excuses at the end of the day.”

“Maybe it’s the uniforms,” Underwood offered. “We make those shots against everybody else.”

Or maybe UConn — which bills itself as the “Basketball Capital of the World” — just has the secret sauce. Six national titles for the Huskies men, all in the last 26 tournaments, and an amazing record in Final Four games of 13-1. A win against Arizona or Michigan on Monday would mean a third title in four years for Hurley’s program. And that’s not even mentioning the UConn women, who’ve cut down the nets 12 times.

There were moments in this game when the Illini appeared to be squarely in the fight. One came in the first half, when a Tomislav Ivisic three gave them their first lead at 22-21. Andrej Stojakovic then went to the line with a chance to widen the edge, but he missed both free throws. The Huskies then ripped off a 13-2 run and led 37-29 at the half.

Less than four minutes into the second half, Ivisic missed a wide-open three that could’ve made it a five-point game, gotten the pro-Illini crowd on its feet and put real pressure on the Huskies. But the shot rimmed out and, seven seconds later, UConn’s Solo Ball stepped into one at the other end and drained it to make it 47-36.

Later, a Stojakovic layup attempt somehow didn’t go in, the ball coming almost to a complete stop on the back of the rim before finally spinning off. But another Ball three bounded off the rim, soared halfway to the Lucas Oil Stadium ceiling and somehow dropped in, making it 52-40.

It was that kind of a night.

The Illini made it close during the last several minutes, cutting the deficit to four points twice, but they never had a shot at a tie or the lead. And if they’d had such a chance, on this night? It probably wouldn’t have worked out.

In what likely was his last college game, Keaton Wagler led the Illini with 20 points. Ivisic scored 16. UConn got 17 from Tarris Reed Jr. and four three-pointers from Indianapolis-area native Braylon Mullins.

“I feel like the season went by super fast,” Wagler said. “I didn’t want to end at all, but I’m just super glad that it happened and blessed to be a part of this team.”

At that, the freshman, an expected NBA lottery pick, hung his head and buried his face in a towel, teammate Ty Rodgers’ arm gently around his neck and shoulders.

“Yeah,” Wagler said after a lengthy pause, “just blessed to be a part of it.”

After the loss, Underwood told his team how proud he was and how much he loved them. He promised them they would win in life and thanked them for making history.

Illinois’ first Final Four run in 21 years was well worth the ride.

Whether or not it went as far as it could will be up for debate forever.