Game Thread: Illinois at UCLA

[Pikeillinifan]

Winning a tight one on the road is one thing, but falling apart after a 33-10 lead is nuts.

 

[FleetFeetIllini]

It wasn't a BS call, it was a BS challene by Mirk. Unbelieveable to be up by 23 and finish the half like that.

 

[ChiTown]

Team fell apart once Wagler left the game.

 

[Jimbo]

Ok, time to regroup. They got insanely hot on us.

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

Mirk had an awful half.

3pts, 4ast, 4reb. Awful sequence… definitely not awful in totality.

 

[Heisenbobble]

Brad better be lighting their asses up for that awful 10-minute stretch. Christ on a cracker! You can’t lose a game where you’re up 23. Just can’t let it happen.

 

[RIP_Chief_2003]

Only if we had someone who can make 3/4 ct shots…

 

[Doogie94]

Are we able to cash our timeout in for anything?

Why not use it during their run. Slow the momentum. take the crowd out of it. Give wagler time to come back.

unexcusable!

 

[IllinoisGrad0609]

Kids have to refocus and start the 2nd half line they did the first. If they can do that, this one is in the bag.

 

[ChiTown]

33-10 game turns into 50- 43. Wow.

That is a heck of a run.

 

[Oracle21]

From 33-10 to 50-43 at half. I still think IL is in good shape. I don’t think UCLA has enough offense to keep up.

That was just about a perfect offensive half:

10-19 on 3s
And 9-3 on the offensive glass

 

[Deep]

Not good.
You needed to step on them

 

[Fly Illini Fly!]

I’m not sure I’ve ever had more sympathy for a lost lead than this one. That Wagler play was a momentous turn of events.

 

[Starrynova]

The defense is a huge worry, unacceptable. Play like that and we’re out by the second weekend

 

[Juju]

Well, good news is they are only as close as they are because of a once-every-few-games run of what, 12 out of 13 shots made? I don't think they do that again(at least, I HOPE they don't), so as long as we play how we played most of the first half, we'll be fine.

 

[RabidDawgClassic]

This team knows how to regroup. We have a seven point lead on the road at half. Let’s just go forward with that advantage.

 

[BlabDunkAnd1]

We go up by 23 and then take our foot off the gas defensively. I hope there’s some scared trash cans at halftime

 

[Zorak]

Ok, time to regroup. They got insanely hot on us.

I'm not so sure. Our defense couldn't stop the bleeding.

 

[hoopsfan47]

I think it is quite possible that defensive strategy and execution will be discussed in the Illini halftime locker room.

 

[Flyin' Illini]

Relax everyone. Terrible last 10 minutes, but it's still a 7 point lead with the ball opening the second half. Just go out and tighten things up in the second half and put this one in the W column.

 

[ImGonnaBeILL]

They can't stop Z at all on those lobs. It's there every single time on those Keaton/KB drives

 

[blife]

We just refuse to kill teams when we are pummeling them, let them feel life, and it ALWAYS bites us in the a$$. Now in a F'ing dog fight.

 

[Deep]

This team knows how to regroup. We have a seven point lead on the road at half. Let’s just go forward with that advantage.

Need to play better defense

 

[NorthShoreIllini]

Not calling a timeout in 1H to stem the run classic Brad. Be better

 

[CV Illini]

Favored by 5.5 and up by 7 at half. We will be fine.