The Taste of Defeat
March 7, 2005 11:34 PM
Illinois' offense stalled Sunday afternoon in Columbus, and Ohio St. seized the day. Matt Sylvester drilled a now-legendary three-pointer to give Ohio St. its first lead with 5.1 seconds left, Roger Powell's last-second shot sailed wide left, and the red throng frenzy swarmed the court. In the final analysis the Buckeyes simply stepped up and made plays while the Illini went into Lethargic Mode and failed to score in the final 3:22. It was the first time Illinois tasted defeat since March 26, 2004, when Duke ousted them 72-62 in the Sweet Sixteen.
Despite the shattered perfection, the 29-1 Illini retained their #1 ranking in both polls. Michigan or Northwestern will face the new non-undefeated Orange and Blue Friday morning in the Big Ten Tournament.
- So this is what losing feels like...
[illiniwonk.blogspot.com] - Loss not a worry; play is
[herald-review.com] - One loss doesn't taint credentials
[espn.go.com]
