Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball coach Brad Underwood saw his team overcome road adversity once again, as it snagged a critical road win Sunday afternoon to extend its winning streak to 11 by overcoming a talented No.5-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers team, 78-69.
It wasn’t just any win. It’s a microcosm of a season marked by raw, elite talent finally gelling together as the season’s critical stretch run really gets going. Sunday at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln was no different, as for the second consecutive weekend, the No.9-ranked Illini took down an AP Top 5 road opponent after doing the same against the Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette last Saturday.
It’s the first time the Illini have done so in program history, but it came with a bit of extra motivation that has since begun to circulate in the hours after the revenge win.
More specifically, the team’s whiteboard. There weren’t X’s and O’s, nor was there a diagram explaining the ways Illinois can continue to remain atop a crowded Big Ten title race with a little over a month left in the season.
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Instead, it was four simple words: “Rob the [expletive] bank.”
Whether it was a jab at the arena’s name or otherwise, it certainly seemed to fire up Illinois as it now holds a win against every conference opponent it’s played so far.
Underwood said his players were relaxed and composed in the second half after overcoming a 39-33 halftime deficit. The Illini outscored the Cornhuskers 45-30 in the final 20 minutes, as freshman guard Keaton Wagler finished with 28 points.
“Chemistry and connectivity,” Underwood told reporters. “Just the communication… We’ve made huge strides there and we’re competing on every play,” Underwood said.
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The Illini are going to attempt to keep their winning streak alive Wednesday night from State Farm Center in Champaign, hosting the Northwestern Wildcats. Unlike Illinois, Northwestern has struggled to stay above .500 for much of the season and is trying to bounce back after dropping a 76-62 game to the Washington Huskies Saturday night.
Tip is set for 8 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network as the Illini try to sweep the season series.
