In-state rivals. NCAA Tournament hopefuls with winning Big Ten records. Every reason for a college basketball game to matter on its own merit.
But for part of the way Wednesday night, the game was the sideshow at Welsh-Ryan Arena, where Northwestern beat No. 10 Illinois 96-91 in overtime. Sharing the main stage instead were Illini senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. and the Wildcats fans — students, mainly — who booed and chanted at him.
It was “No! Means! No!” early.
It was “Guilty! Guilty!” late.
And there were other, more aggressive things yelled at Shannon by individual fans that could be heard above the din. It was the first such experience for Shannon, who will have more of them wherever he travels in Big Ten country for as long as he’s playing this season — which might be right up until it ends.
Shannon, 23, a Chicago native who went to Lincoln Park, is facing a rape charge in Kansas and was suspended by Illinois for six games until a U.S. District Court judge granted a preliminary injunction last week that paved the way for his immediate reinstatement. The Illini’s best player, Shannon came off the bench in his return in Champaign, scoring 16 points in a win against Rutgers. At Northwestern, he was back in the starting lineup and met with boos as he warmed up in pregame and as his name was announced.
Illini coach Brad Underwood downplayed the whole spectacle.
“We’re playing ball,” Underwood said. “We’ve been in a lot of environments in this league. I had chicken wings thrown at me last year at Maryland. That stuff doesn’t have anything to do with the outcome of the basketball game. We had a chance to win a basketball game today. Chants or no chants, we had a chance to win.”
Eventually, the game — perhaps the best of the season in the Big Ten — stole back the show.
The second half was riveting, with the Illini’s Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins taking over offensively and the Wildcats Ty Berry and Brooks Barnhizer repeatedly answering back. The Illini were monsters on the offensive glass as they have been all season, while the Wildcats avoided turnovers zealously as they have all season.
It went to overtime at 76-76 before the Wildcats played almost flawless offense in the extra period, throwing another 20 points on the board with star Boo Buie (29 points) leading the way. Buie, who had eight points in OT, hit a three, Barnhizer followed that with a four-point play and the Illini were staggered beyond the point of return.
In all, there were 18 lead changes and 15 ties in a game that topped almost all others in this series’ history.
“The atmosphere was electric,” Northwestern coach Chris Collins said.
It was fitting that the Wildcats (14-5, 5-3 Big Ten) ended with 96 — the same number they gave up Jan. 2 in a 30-point loss to the Illini (14-5, 5-3) in Champaign.
“We had to win,” Collins said. “That was kind of our mindset.”
It was the Wildcats’ second straight home win in the series but only their second win in the last 12 meetings overall. Collins’ record against the Illini is 6-14.
“It doesn’t become a true rivalry until we start winning our share,” he said.
