"Our guys found a way, and they grinded. Sometimes in February, they don't always look sexy and pretty," Illinois coach John Groce said. "We found a way and made some plays, and I was proud of the guys for that."

The crowd was sparse, and justifiably so. A winter storm meant only 7,667 made their way inside the Assembly Hall on Thursday to witness the eyesore.

Officials Ed Hightower, Terry Oglesby and Brian Dorsey called 52 fouls in the game.

Marcus Jackson