CHAMPAIGN, IL (CHAMBANA TODAY)– Trailing by as many as 10 points in the second half, [2] Illinois battled back and scored the final six points of the game to secure a come-from-behind 77-74 victory over [10] Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Advancing to the semifinals of the conference tournament for the first time since 2021, the Orange and Blue used big performances from Terrence Shannon Jr., Dain Dainja, and Ty Rodgers to survive an upset bid from the Buckeyes at Target Center on Friday night.

Shannon recorded a game-high 28 points, his 36th consecutive game in double figures and his 16th outing this season with 20+ points. Scoring 14 points in the first half, Shannon accounted for four of the Illini’s final six points and went 9-for-10 from the stripe in the second half. Shannon also tallied three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Dainja marked his return to his home state with 18 points and eight rebounds. Reaching the double-digit scoring mark for the seventh time this season, Dainja shot 70% from the field and recorded 12 of his 18 points after halftime. The difference for the Illini in the second half, Dainja also made one block.

Rodgers clinched his third double-double of the season with a 12-point, 10-rebound performance. Five of Rodgers’ boards came on the offensive glass, while he went a perfect 3-for-3 from the field in the second half. He also notched one block.

Coleman Hawkins also made multiple big plays in the final two minutes of action, finishing with seven points and seven rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end of the floor. He also dished out two assists and accumulated two rejections.

The Illini won the rebounding battle, 44-40, while recording 17 second-chance points on 19 offensive boards.

The Illini’s first two field goals of the night came via dunks from Shannon and Rodgers. Trailing for most of the opening seven minutes, Illinois took its first lead of the night following an 8-2 run. Dainja and Shannon combined for all eight points during that stretch, which put the Illini in front, 16-15.

The Buckeyes jumped back in front two minutes later, but the Illini pieced together a 7-0 run to retake the advantage. Shannon scored six points during those two minutes to move into double figures, which included a 3-pointer and an and-1 layup that put him over 2,000 career points.

A 9-0 run from Ohio State put the Buckeyes into the lead once again before a Shannon transition dunk tied the game at 27. Luke Goode connected from 3-point range one minute later, which capped off a 5-0 Illini run.

Illinois went into the break with a 31-29 lead, in large part due to strong defense and a game-high 14 points froom Shanon through the opening 20 minutes of play. Dainja added six points off the bench, while the Illini took advantage of its defense by scoring eight fast-break points.

Ohio State began the second half with a 9-2 run, which gave the Buckeyes a six-point edge. After going scoreless in the first period of play, Domask opened his scoring with a 3-pointer before Justin Harmon knocked down two free throws, which evened the contest at 38.

The Buckeyes moved back in front shortly after, but four straight points from Rodgers moved him into double figures for the seventh time this season.

Staring down a double-digit deficit, 56-46, with 11 minutes to play, the Illini chipped away at the Ohio State edge. Seven points from Dainja and a 3-pointer from Shannon fueled a 13-3 run in less than three minutes, tying the contest at 59.

The Buckeyes pushed their lead back to five points with five minutes to go before Shannon and Dainja combined for back-to-back buckets to cut the Illini deficit to one. OSU responded with a layup before Hawkins scored his first points of the second half with a layup 24 seconds later.

After the Buckeyes regained a three-point lead, three straight points from Dainja knotted the game at 71 with just over two minutes remaining. Ohio State did not go away quietly, however, retaking the advantage with a 3-pointer with 74-71 with 1:44 to play.

Shannon got to the free-throw line on the Illini’s next possession, cutting Illinois’ deficit to one point. After Hawkins recorded a block and grabbed a defensive rebound on the Buckeyes’ next trip down the floor, the Illini senior forward drew a foul, went to the stripe, and knocked down two free throws. His points put the Orange and Blue in front for the first time since the first 18 seconds coming out of halftime.

Hawkins drew an offensive foul on the Buckeyes’ ensuing possession before corralling two offensive rebounds on the Illini’s next trip. With Ohio State forced to foul, Shannon extended the Illinois lead to three points with 11 seconds remaining. Forcing a stop on the Buckeyes’ final shot attempts, Illinois survived another day and moved on in the Big Ten Tournament.

Illinois now advances to take on the winner of [3] Nebraska and [6] Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. The game will tip off from Target Center at about 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.