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Illinois Wins 2024 TIAA Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Illinois Fighting Illini won their fourth TIAA Big Ten Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament today, with a 93-87 win over the Wisconsin Badgers at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
With the win, Illinois (26-8) earns the Big Ten’s automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Championship and will make its 34th all-time tournament appearance.
Terrence Shannon Jr. led Illinois with a Big Ten Championship game record 34 points on 8-15 shooting from the floor and 15-17 shooting from the free throw line. With a total of 102 points in the tournament, Shannon fell just one point shy of tying Keegan Murray’s 2022 total points mark. Shannon’s efforts were rewarded as the media named him the tournament’s Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player.
Shannon was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Nebraska’s Keisei Tominaga, Purdue’s Zach Edey, and Wisconsin’s Chucky Hepburn and AJ Storr.
The title tilt was a back-and-forth affair, one that saw both teams lead for more than 13 minutes, 13 ties, and 13 lead changes.
The Badgers led by as many as 10 points, as Chucky Hepburn’s three-point play gave Wisconsin a 61-51 lead with 14:38 to play. Over the next five-plus minutes, Illinois used a 19-4 run to build a 70-65 advantage on Marcus Domask’s triple.
The Badgers would not go quietly, as they fought back, regaining a slim 82-81 lead after a Max Klesmit three with just under four minutes to play. The lead was short-lived, as Domask buried a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession to put Illinois ahead.
Klesmit responded again, draining his fourth three-pointer of the game with just south of two minutes to play. On Illinois’ next possession, Shannon delivered a three-pointer with 1:28 on the clock to put Illinois ahead for good. The Illini sealed the game at the free throw line, connecting on five of six free throw attempts in the final 62 seconds.
Domask joined Shannon with double-figure points, finishing with 26 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and 9-10 from the charity stripe to go with seven rebounds and eight assists.
Storr scored 24 points to lead four Badgers with double digit points. Hepburn paired 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Klesmit finished with16 points, shooting 4-6 from three-point range.
With the win, Illinois (26-8) earns the Big Ten’s automatic berth into the 2024 NCAA Championship and will make its 34th all-time tournament appearance.
Terrence Shannon Jr. led Illinois with a Big Ten Championship game record 34 points on 8-15 shooting from the floor and 15-17 shooting from the free throw line. With a total of 102 points in the tournament, Shannon fell just one point shy of tying Keegan Murray’s 2022 total points mark. Shannon’s efforts were rewarded as the media named him the tournament’s Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player.
Shannon was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Nebraska’s Keisei Tominaga, Purdue’s Zach Edey, and Wisconsin’s Chucky Hepburn and AJ Storr.
The title tilt was a back-and-forth affair, one that saw both teams lead for more than 13 minutes, 13 ties, and 13 lead changes.
The Badgers led by as many as 10 points, as Chucky Hepburn’s three-point play gave Wisconsin a 61-51 lead with 14:38 to play. Over the next five-plus minutes, Illinois used a 19-4 run to build a 70-65 advantage on Marcus Domask’s triple.
The Badgers would not go quietly, as they fought back, regaining a slim 82-81 lead after a Max Klesmit three with just under four minutes to play. The lead was short-lived, as Domask buried a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession to put Illinois ahead.
Klesmit responded again, draining his fourth three-pointer of the game with just south of two minutes to play. On Illinois’ next possession, Shannon delivered a three-pointer with 1:28 on the clock to put Illinois ahead for good. The Illini sealed the game at the free throw line, connecting on five of six free throw attempts in the final 62 seconds.
Domask joined Shannon with double-figure points, finishing with 26 points on 8-11 shooting from the field and 9-10 from the charity stripe to go with seven rebounds and eight assists.
Storr scored 24 points to lead four Badgers with double digit points. Hepburn paired 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Klesmit finished with16 points, shooting 4-6 from three-point range.