Buckeyes Upset No. 3 Illinois, 63-61 – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 22, 2001%^$
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%^$By RUSTY MILLER
%^$AP Sports Writer
%^$COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sean Connolly never had a doubt when the ball left his%^$hands. Frank Williams never had a chance.%^$
Connolly’s 3-pointer with 30 seconds left gave Ohio State a 63-61 upset of%^$No. 3 Illinois on Thursday night and opened up the race for the Big Ten title.%^$
“I hit one of the biggest shots I’ve hit in college,” said Connolly, who%^$missed his first three attempts from 3-point range.%^$
Williams was boxed in on the Illini’s last shot and his long attempt from in%^$front of the Illinois bench fell short. Hundreds of fans flooded the floor at%^$Value City Arena after the final buzzer.%^$
With Illinois on top 61-60, the Buckeyes’ Brent Darby was guarded by Sergio%^$McClain in the backcourt and couldn’t find an open man. But he was able to toss%^$a pass to the left wing where Connolly broke open along the baseline. He turned%^$and hit the 3-pointer to put Ohio State ahead 63-61.%^$
“I came off a couple of screens and just came open,” said Connolly, a%^$transfer from Providence in his first year with the Buckeyes. “It felt like it%^$was going in when it left my hand.”%^$
Brian Cook missed a 3-point attempt from the top of the key with nine%^$seconds remaining for Illinois. The Buckeyes’ Tim Martin rebounded and was%^$fouled but missed both free throws.%^$
Williams, who had beaten Ohio State in the Big Ten opener a year ago with a%^$3-pointer at the buzzer, took the inbounds pass and dribbled to the left wing.%^$Pressured by three defenders, his shot with two seconds left never was close.%^$
“They did a good job of trapping me and they did a goo job of making it so%^$I couldn’t see anyone to pass to,” Williams said.%^$
The Illini (21-6, 11-3) came in on a five-game winning streak and still lead%^$Michigan State (10-3) by a half-game in the conference.%^$
“We thought they would double Frank and take him away and we would use Cory%^$Bradford to back him,” Illinois coach Bill Self said. “They just did a great%^$job on defense. We couldn’t get the ball where we wanted it.”%^$
Ohio State (18-9, 9-5) had lost its first four games against ranked teams%^$this season, but has now knocked off four ranked teams in the last month -%^$including another team that was No. 3 at the time, Michigan State.%^$
“How about our kids?” Buckeyes coach Jim O’Brien said. “They hung in%^$there, they didn’t lose their composure and they just toughed it out. We had to%^$play like we did against Michigan State – anything else and we lose.”%^$
Brian Brown led Ohio State with 18 points, while Ken Johnson had 16 points%^$and Darby had 14. The Buckeyes have won five straight Big conference games.%^$
“They’re good, but we were up by one with 35 seconds left and didn’t get it%^$done,” Self said. “It was nobody’s fault. Connolly just made a great shot.”%^$
Johnson, honored earlier as the Buckeyes’ only senior, blocked two shots to%^$tie former Penn State center Calvin Booth for the most career blocks by a Big%^$Ten player (428).%^$
Williams scored 22 points and Marcus Griffin had 12 for the Illini, who had%^$won 14 of the last 16 meetings with Ohio State.%^$
Johnson’s slam dunk to open the second half gave Ohio State a 38-29 lead.%^$But Illinois came back with the next 12 points, holding the Buckeyes without a%^$point for more than six minutes. Williams scored the first three baskets and%^$assisted on two others in the surge, while Ohio State missed eight consecutive%^$shots.%^$
Johnson became the 39th Ohio State player to score 1,000 points in a career%^$when he hit a free throw with 7:31 left that gave the Buckeyes a 52-45 lead.%^$
Illinois drew even at 56 on Sean Harrington’s 3-pointer from the right wing%^$with 4:01 remaining.%^$
Boban Savovic responded with a 3-pointer and a free throw to put the%^$Buckeyes up 60-56 with 3:44 to play.%^$
Williams then converted a three-point play, and after an Ohio State miss,%^$hit a 10-foot fadeaway for a 61-60 lead to set up the wild finish.%^$
“This is the best feeling I’ve ever had here,” Johnson said. “It was%^$everybody’s heart. It was a terrific game on everybody’s part.”%^$
Asked about the fans who ran onto the floor after the final buzzer, O’Brien%^$grinned.%^$
“Anyone who beats them deserves to rush the floor,” he said. “That’s the%^$price Illinois pays for having a great program.”
