The only symbol of a championship performance at State Farm Center on Saturday afternoon was the World Series trophy that made its way to Champaign for fans to bask in the Cubs’ historic October title.
Illinois’ play was a reminder of how far the team has to go to playing high-caliber ball.
The Illini lost their third straight game and sixth out of seven in a 68-59 loss Minnesota. The Gophers broke out of a five-game losing slump with the victory.
Fans booed heartily throughout the game, upset with officials’ calls. Illini coach John Groce pounded on the scorers’ table.
Tension filled the arena as the Illini were desperate to keep even the thinnest hopes of post-season tournament play alive.
Guard Jalen Coleman-Lands couldn’t find the hoop, going scoreless shooting 0-for-10. Malcolm Hill, who picked up early fouls but played throughout, shot just 5 of 18 for 13 points with a 0-for-7 effort on 3-pointers.
Illinois shot just 4 of 22 on 3-pointers for the game and shot 38.1 percent overall.
Kipper Nichols was the lone bright spot for Illinois, hitting all five of his first-half shots and finishing with 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting.
Illinois played with its typical hot-and-cold inconsistencies. After a four-minute stretch in which they shot 0 for 5 and suffered four turnovers, Illinois went on a 6-0 run in the second half. But they couldn’t make a comeback, falling behind by as many as 13 points.
The Gophers had lost five straight games entering Saturday’s contest in Champaign.
Reggie Lynch led Minnesota with 15 points, and Waukegan native Akeem Springs added 14 points.
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