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Illinois and Minnesota met for the second time this season as the Minnesota Golden Gophers snatched the victory with a dramatic comeback, overtime win.
The Fighting Illini travel to Minnesota on Saturday night looking to finish off a regular season sweep of the Gophers while also trying to end a two-game skid.
Related: Illinois Still Has Plenty To Fix, And Little Time To Fix It
In the first meeting between these two, Illinois prevailed in two overtimes, largely on the strength of its defense, which allowed 72 points in 81 possessions. The Illini forced Minnesota into an off shooting day and cleaned up the defensive boards, which made it tough for the Gophers to find traction. A repeat of that defensive effort would go a long way toward delivering a big road win for Illinois.
Brandon Paul led the Illinois offense with 21 points in that game.
Date & Time: Saturday, Jan. 28, 7:00 p.m. CT
TV: Big Ten Network
Odds: Minnesota is favored by 4-1/2
Series History: Illinois leads 115-62
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, head over to Illinois blog Hail to the Orange and Minnesota blog The Daily Gopher. For more from around college hoops, visit SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.
Illinois Vs. Minnesota: The Fighting Illini Can't Hold On, Lose 72-77 In Overtime
The Illinois Fighting Illini (15-7, 4-5) were unable to repeat their previous victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers (18-6, 5-5), this time falling 72-77 in overtime.
The Illlini started the game strong, taking a five-point lead within the first few minutes, but the Gophers took jumped ahead by halftime, putting Illinois in a 26-30 deficit. Halfway through the second half, the Illini had regained the edge with a 51-47 lead with 6:20 remaining, but an ill-timed foul allowed Austin Hollins to tie the game on a layup and free throw.
In overtime, the Gophers pulled away quickly on shots from Hollins, Joe Coleman and Chip Armelin. For the Illini, junior G Brandon Paul led the way, scoring 28 points and snagging 9 rebounds, but Paul only connected on 9 of his 23 shots for a .391 shooting percentage. C Meyer Leonard put a strong effort, adding a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, head over to Illinois blog Hail to the Orange and Minnesota blog The Daily Gopher. For more from around college hoops, visit SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.
Jan 28 10:36p by Bradley Woodrum