A week ago, Illinois fans fretted about whether their star player would be lost to injury after Ayo Dosunmu took an awkward, nasty fall that legitimized their fear in the final seconds of a one-point loss to Michigan State in Champaign. On Tuesday night at Penn State, Dosunmu returned to the starting lineup after a one-game absence and cemented his legacy.
Dosunmu scored a game-high 24 points, including a victory-clinching runner with 16 seconds left for a marquee 62-56 victory for Illinois against No. 9 Penn State.
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Illini while ending the surging Nittany Lions’ eight-game victory run. It also marked the first time since 2014 that the Illini (17-9, 9-6 Big Ten) won a road game against a Top 25 team, breaking a streak of 18 such losses.
Here are three takeaways from Illinois’ victory.
1. Ayo Dosunmu’s legend continues.
Already beloved since committing to Illinois out of Morgan Park in 2017, Dosunmu cemented his legacy in Champaign with his performance.
He showed no signs of wear or fatigue from his left leg injury. He looked as aggressive and determined as ever in Happy Valley.
Dosunmu already had wowed college basketball fans with his clutch shooting to beat Michigan, Wisconsin and Rutgers. Coming back from an injury to beat a top-10 opponent on the road might top them all.
Dosunmu, who made 9 of 15 shots, paced Illinois throughout the game and was the most important difference-maker on the court. He scored 16 of his points in the second half.
“When you lose your alpha, it throws things off,” coach Brad Underwood said on the FS1 broadcast. “And how good was he today?”
The answer: Great.
2. A few other stars showed up, too.
Andres Feliz also had a clutch play against Penn State (20-6, 10-5). The guard grabbed an offensive rebound with less than 30 seconds to play that forced the Nittany Lions to foul.
He scored only five points but grabbed seven rebounds.
Center Kofi Cockburn looked destined for a frustrating game after picking up two early fouls and playing only five minutes before halftime. But he looked strong in the post when he returned, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Alan Griffin helped keep Illinois afloat in the first half, when he scored all nine of his points off the bench. Da’Monte Williams’ defense helped frustrate Penn State’s Lamar Stevens, who worked hard for his 13 points while shooting 3-for-11 from the field.
3. The Illini look bound for the NCAA Tournament.
The victory seems as if it could be the one to solidify Illinois’ tournament resume, barring a bizarre late-season collapse.
The Illini are sure to rise from No. 38 in the NET ratings. The victory marked their fourth road win in the Big Ten, one of the nation’s toughest leagues. Illinois owns six “Quad 1” wins.
The Illini completed a brutal stretch of eight games, five on the road, at 4-4. Ken Pomeroy’s analytics predict four victories in the Illini’s final five regular-season games.
“That’s a big win,” Underwood told players Tuesday in the locker room.
They certainly have an impressive resume. A NCAA Tournament appearance would be the first for Illinois since 2013.
The Illini are also playing for Big Ten Tournament seeding. They moved into a five-way tie for third place in the conference standings, a game behind second-place Penn State.
