Tag: Marcus Domask

Big Ten Notebook: Illinois falls to UConn

Another Big Ten team is down with UConn beating Illinois.

On Saturday, March Madness came to an end for the Illinois Fighting Illini. The Big Ten champs took on No.1 UConn and struggled offensively in a 77-52 loss. While they kept things close in the first half, UConn dominated in the final 20 minutes.

The Huskies pulled away in the second half thanks to a 30-0 run. As UConn punched its ticket to the Elite Eight, it recorded a March Madness record tenth straight double-digit victory.

Thank you 🧡💙#Illini | #HTTO | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/KXv1mlz6Xr

— Illinois Men’s Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 31, 2024

While the Elite Eight did not go as planned for Illinois, there were a few bright spots. That includes Marcus Domask, who scored a team-high 17 points while adding three rebounds to his resume. The Waupun, Wisconsin native, was the only Fighting Illini who scored more than 10 points.

In this matchup, UConn was able to take advantage of their opportunities close to the basket. They outscored Illinois in the paint 52-20. The Huskies also prevented Illinois from having a lead the entire game an never took the pressure off.

Following their latest win, UConn is only a win away from a chance to defend their title. Their next opponent will be No.4 Alabama, who beat Clemson on Saturday night.

 

Illinois’ Marcus Domask made March Madness history with rare triple-double in first-round win

Illinois’ Marcus Domask joined elite company in March Madness history on Thursday.

Illinois guard/forward Marcus Domask made some pretty impressive March Madness history on Thursday during his team’s first-round victory over Morehead State.

Domask posted up a triple-double in the victory (12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), making him the first player to do so in the men’s NCAA tournament since Ja Morant’s appearance with Murray State in 2019.

It’s also only the 10th time in the tournament’s history on the men’s side that a triple-double has been recorded during a March Madness game. How about that?

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green also netted a couple of triple-doubles in the NCAA tournament while he was at Michigan State, as he’s the only player in men’s history with two to his name.

This is just such a cool accomplishment for Domask as he led his third-seeded Illinois past a fierce effort from Morehead State to the Round of 32.

We’ll see if Domask can keep his hot streak alive when Illinois plays again on Saturday, opponent to be determined.

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Takeaways from Wisconsin’s crushing loss to No. 13 Illinois

What are your takeaways from the loss to Illinois?

Wisconsin basketball continued its slide Saturday afternoon with a 91-83 loss to No. 13 Illinois.

Reciting the Badgers’ struggles since the start of February is like a broken record at this point. The team has lost seven of its last nine, with each loss feeling more crushing than the last.

Related: Wisconsin basketball social media despondent after Badgers loss to Illinois

The road will not get much easier for Greg Gard’s team. Up next is a home matchup with Rutgers, before a season-ending trip to West Lafayette, Indiana, to face No. 3 Purdue. Then comes the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. It doesn’t take a genius to know Wisconsin needs to step up its game to have any hope at a deep run.

Before we get to that, here are our takeaways from the loss to Illinois:

Rutgers men’s basketball looking to build on thrilling Big Ten win

Rutgers men’s basketball faces a ranked Illinois on Sunday.

After a thrilling overtime win over Nebraska on Wednesday, Rutgers men’s basketball is back in action on Sunday against Illinois. They will be looking to secure their third conference win and continue to climb up the Big Ten standings. However, they have a tough matchup in the Fighting Illini.

Through 17 games this season, No. 14 Illinois has posted a 13-4 record. They have been led by Marcus Domask, who is averaging 14.9 points a game. In his latest masterpiece against Michigan on Thursday, Domask added 15 points to his resume while shooting 71.4 percent from the field.

 

As Rutgers looks to stop the talented forward, they will need Mawot Mag and Aundre Hyatt to have big games. Mag has been a scoring machine of late with 41 points in his last three games. Hyatt has also been hard to stop during that stretch with 43 points.

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While Rutgers is coming off their best win of the season, they have struggled on the road. In five games, they only have one win compared to nine at home. Sunday represents a great opportunity for Rutgers to pull off an upset and prove they can beat ranked opponents away from Jersey Mike’s Arena.