Illinois basketball loses to UConn in Elite Eight as Huskies advance to NCAA Tournament Final Four

BOSTON — Defending national champion UConn was too much for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Star guard Terrence Shannon Jr. and Illinois (29-9) were overwhelmed by the Huskies 77-52 on Saturday in the East Region final at TD Garden, as the Illini fell short of the program's first Final Four appearance since 2005.

The Huskies (35-3) took control early in the second half, scoring the first 25 points after halftime and 30 in a row overall to pull away. UConn advances to the Final Four for consecutive seasons and will face West Region champion Alabama next weekend in Glendale, Arizona.

"We obviously came out in the second half and got blitzed," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said in the postgame news conference. " ... They do what they do. They got out in transition, turned some of those blocks, turned a few turnovers into lay-ups."

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UConn big man Donovan Clingan stood tall

UConn 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan dominated for the Huskies, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in just over 20 minutes of playing time. He scored UConn's first seven points and proved a defensive menace when on the court, limiting the Illini inside the paint. Underwood said Clingan "dominated" on defense in the first half.

It didn't stop there. Clingan scored nine points during UConn's game-turning 30-point run that included the first 25 points of the second half.

"He's good. He did his job," Underwood said. "I mean, doesn't everybody have him projected in the lottery or close to it? Yeah, he does a great job of protecting the rim. ... Got an elite guy back there."

Marcus Domask kept the Illini in the game

Shannon was held to eight points on 2-for-12 shooting, while guard Marcus Domask scored 17 to lead the Illini, who trailed just 28-23 at halftime.

Domask scored 15 of his team-high 17 in the first half, keeping Illinois within striking distance before the break. Despite the loss, the Southern Illinois transfer said this Elite Eight season brought him joy. "I've had a lot of fun in my last year of college," he said. "So, I mean, just joyful."

The Illini finished on a 16-4 clip since the beginning of the 2024 calendar year, including the Big Ten Conference tournament championship. Underwood and Illinois finally had broken through for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament second weekend since their last Final Four trip in 2005.

"I think there's nothing that should allow them to have their head down," Underwood said. "You won 29 games. You played in the Elite Eight. You're part of a Big Ten championship. You got to do it in front of a very passionate fans and a bunch of people.

"It's not just players and coaches in tears, there's a lot of support staff and people that got really close with this group and got to go along on the ride that they gave us. ... I'm the most blessed coach in America today."