Cancun: Illinois takes home title

It felt more like an escape than a win. The Illini gave the Redbirds several opportunities to swing the upset, but Illinois stayed unbeaten (8-0) against Illinois State.

"The most important thing is you've got to find a way to win," Bruce Weber said after Illinois (5-0) won its first tournament title since the South Padre Invitational in 2008. "We didn't always do that last year."

Klee