In a high-scoring game, the Illinois Fighting Illini defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers 105-97. Cam Christie and Garcia led the Gophers in scoring, but Shannon's 29 points propelled Illinois to victory. Both teams had strong offensive performances, with Illinois maintaining a one-game lead in the Big Ten standings.
#ICYMI: Parker Fox's contagious energy and big scoring second half from #Gophers backcourt lead to the 75-70 win vs. Penn State after making big comeback @StribSports @GopherMBB @bigten https://t.co/NA13eUjbS5
FINAL: #Gophers 75, Penn St 70. MN overcame 23-point deficit in the first half. Christie with 19 points. Hawkins 18 points. Mitchell 11 points in 2nd half.
3 for Cameron Christie! Gophers extend their lead @GopherMBB x @24CameronC https://t.co/1AGEKG3gzC
Christie gave #Gophers the lead after being down 23 points in the first half!
#Gophers saw other teams come back from 20 points down to beat them (Iowa and Mizzou). That will have to happen today. Penn St up 39-17 in first half after shooting 9-11 from three
First version of our #Badgers story filed but game played out as stats suggested. UW couldn't get enough timely stops. ILL finished at 1.379 ppp. Illini were No. 3 nationally in offensive efficiency (kenpom) coming in.
Parker Fox scores his first basket as a starter for the #Gophers. Penn St leads 5-4
Sizzling Illinois shooting continues. Badgers a very bland defense this year, but on the road the Illini net 1.379 points per possession. Practically inarguable, Brad Underwood's team currently owns the best offense in the country. Unreal hot.
FINAL: ILL 91, #Badgers 83. Domask with 31 and Shannon Jr. with 23 to lead the winners.
Freshman Cam Christie's 17 points in last meeting against Penn State in a Jan. 27 win started a streak of six straight double figures scoring games and eight of the last nine for the #Gophers. @StribSports
Ben Johnson talks about how the #Gophers hope take advantage of the energy from home crowd in back-to-back games at Williams Arena vs. Penn State today and Wednesday vs. Indiana. @StribSports @GopherMBB https://t.co/0ikujIFr9l
Good action end to end so far. #Badgers ball OB with 7:20 left and a 25-21 lead. UW 9-18 shooting; ILL 8-17. Illini 4-6 from deep; UW 7-8 from FT line.
#Badgers 20-13 lead with 10:13 left. Storr with 6, Wahl, Crowl and Klesmit with four apiece.
#Gophers looking for momentum in final stretch before Big Ten tournament in their backyard. Never know what could happen if they get on a roll starting today @B1GMBBall https://t.co/ZAjOjimY0g
#Badgers AM rewind: UW has struggled to defend consistently well and faces an Illinois team with arguably the most explosive offense in the B1G. https://t.co/o5m4vDSx9w
#Gophers men's basketball needs a jump-start Saturday vs. Penn State to finish regular season strong @StribSports @GopherMBB @PennStateMBB https://t.co/gX7UrkjV0L
In preparation for Saturday, Cam Christie talked about his career-high performance with 23 points in Wednesday's loss at Illinois. Highest scoring game for a #Gophers freshman since Gabe Kalscheur's 24 pts in the NCAA tourney win vs. Louisville in 2019. @StribSports @GopherMBB https://t.co/r6PikD5yZC
#Gophers, despite upswing, are longshot for the NCAA men's tournament unless there's a lot more momentum and winning now that it's March @StribSports @GopherMBB @B1GMBBall https://t.co/EvPOvmJvLr
Cam Christie with a shot at Big Ten freshman of the year and other things #Gophers still playing for in the last three regular season games @StribSports @GopherMBB @B1GMBBall https://t.co/ploWxpG86e
Updated gamer: #Gophers offense keeps pace for a while, but can't match No. 13 Illinois in 105-97 loss in Champaign @StribSports @GopherMBB @B1GMBBall https://t.co/VJnCRayqeu
This type of offense would've won at least couple more Quad 1 games earlier this season for #Gophers. #Illini just on historic pace scoring this season https://t.co/ES208qwh30
Illinois just dropped 105 on Minnesota... and gave up 97 Reacting to this Illini win NOW! After Dark is LIVE ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/F8Kemf37MT
Illinois with 1.60 points per possession in tonight's 105-97 win at home over Minnesota. Second-best game of offense by the Illini in the KenPom era. It's also the No. 1 game of offense in the KenPom era for the Gophers: 1.48. One entertaining evening.
FINAL: #illini 105, Minnesota 97 An NBA game broke out at State Farm Center. Illinois (21-7, 12-6 Big Ten) maintains one-game lead for second place in Big Ten. Shannon 29, Domask 22, Hawkins 20, Dainja 11 Garcia 29, Christie career-high 23 https://t.co/0nEE3INqh1
FINAL: #Illini 105, #Gophers 97. Garcia 29 pts Christie 23 pts Mitchell 17 pts MN 17-11, 8-9 in Big Ten. Shannon 29 pts for Illinois
Christie now with a career-high 23 points after his sixth three-pointer, but #Gophers still down 101-93 under a minute
Garcia with 26 points. Christie with 20. #Gophers still trail 85-79 with 6:20 left. Illinois and MN shooting 60% from the field
Possibly momentum swinging sequence. Shannon hits a three-pointer to give Illinois 70-65 lead followed by Payne's third foul on moving screen. #Gophers need a stop desperately.
No defense tonight like the NBA all-star game. #Gophers and #Illini with 18 lead changes! Illinois up 62-61 with 14:21 left in second half.
#Gophers twice get within a point before Mitchell's three-pointer gives them 56-54 lead, but Illinois keeps responding.
HALFTIME: #Illini 48, #Gophers 45. Christie 17 pts 4-6 3-pt FGs 5-6 FTs Garcia 14 pts 6-14 FGs Payne 7 pts 6 rebs Mitchell 7 pts Team 53% FG 7-12 3-pt FGs. IL: Hawkins 15 pts Shannon 13 pts Team 58% FG 22-16 pts in paint
This game is on pace for both teams to score about 100 tonight #Gophers #Illini
#Gophers are now 7-for-11 from beyond the arc after Mitchell's first three falls for 38-37 lead with 4:10 left in first half at Illinois
#Gophers pulled within a point on Christie's fourth three-pointer but Illinois answers with three of its own 37-33
MN native Dain Dainja with five straight points for Illinois, including three-point play to put #Gophers behind again 21-20. Back-and-forth affair. IL 12-6 advantage in points in paint.