The Fighting Illini were hoping to deliver a resume-building win over Michigan on Thursday night, but that wasn't in the cards for them, and it's starting to look like nothing short of a Big Ten tournament championship will get them into the 2012 NCAA tournament.
After trailing by eight points to the Wolverines at halftime, the Illini rallied early in the second half to pull within one point. But they were never able to wrest control of the game from the Wolverines, who went on to win, 71-62.
Related: Michigan Vs. Illinois Preview: Illini On The Bubble Heading Into Senior Night
Illinois shot just 38.5% from the field and Michigan did a nice job of cleaning up those missed shots and preventing the Illini from perhaps altering the course of the game with second-chance points.
Meyers Leonard had a nice second half for Illinois and finished with a team-high 18 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. finished with 25 points for Michigan.
For more on this game stay with SB Nation Chicago. For more on the Illini check out Hail to the Orange and for more on the Wolverines head over to Maize n Brew. For more news and notes around the country, stick with SB Nation's college basketball news hub.