No. 3 seed Illinois dominated from start to finish in its 89-63 second-round win over 11th-seeded Duquesne at the CHI Health Center Omaha on Saturday night, securing the Fighting Illini's first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2005.
Four scorers finished in double figures, while the Orange and Blue led by as many as 32 in the second half en route to the fourth-largest NCAA Tournament win in program history.
Terrence Shannon Jr. secured his seventh 30-point scoring effort of the season – including his third in the Illini's last four games – while shooting 10-for-14 from the field. Shannon missed only one shot in the second half, and his 30-point performance was the third-ever for Illinois in NCAA Tournament history. He also tacked on four rebounds, four assists, and two steals.
Marcus Domask recorded his fourth consecutive game in double figures, pouring in 22 points on 56% shooting. Dishing out seven assists, his fourth outing in a row with at least seven helpers, Domask grabbed two of his three rebounds on the offensive glass and tallied a season-high two steals.
Coleman Hawkins registered 11 points, all of which came in the first half. Recording three 3-pointers, Hawkins corralled a team-best seven rebounds. He also dished out three assists and forced one steal.
Quincy Guerrier returned to double figures with a 10-point, six-rebound display while snagging four offensive boards.
Dain Dainja totaled eight points off the bench while shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, his third straight game without a miss. He also notched five rebounds.
With 13 players registering minutes in the 26-point win, Illinois secured its ninth appearance in the Sweet 16 and pushed its season win total 28, the third-most in program history.
The Illini opened the game on a 7-2 run, with Domask accounting for the Orange and Blue's first five points of the night. Hawkins, Guerrier, and Shannon each got early shots to fall, which gave Illinois a 13-6 advantage at the first media timeout. The Illini established themselves on the boards quickly, scoring six second-chance points on four offensive rebounds through the game's first four minutes.
Illinois added to its lead using a Shannon and-1 bucket to take a double-digit advantage, 16-6, just over six minutes in. The Dukes cut the deficit to single digits before Dainja's driving dunk moved the Illini's advantage back up to double figures. Duquesne then made a free throw before back-to-back 3-pointers from Hawkins in 40 seconds forced a timeout and brought the Illini's lead up to 24-9 through eight-and-a-half minutes.
Less than one minute later, Shannon moved into double figures with his first 3-pointer of the night. Hawkins then joined Shannon with double-digit points with his third trey of the day before Domask's layup completed a 14-2 Illini run, giving the Orange and Blue a 32-11 with just over eight minutes left in the opening frame.
Ty Rodgers and Guerrier combined to extend Illinois' advantage up to 23 points before Duquesne answered with a 7-2 run. After the Illini went over three minutes without a field goal, Dainja corralled an offensive rebound before making the putback through contact. Domask then became the third Illini to reach the double-digit scoring mark, with his layup bringing the Orange and Blue's edge back above the 20-point mark.
Domask's basket sparked a 6-0 run for the Illini, which was closed out on a flush from Dainja. Spanning just over 60 seconds, that scoring stretch gave Illinois its largest lead of the first half at that point, 46-22, with two minutes left before halftime.
Leading by as many as 26, the Illini went into the break with a 50-26 advantage. Three Illini scorers – Domask (13), Shannon (12), and Hawkins (11) – recorded double-digit points through the opening 20 minutes, while the Orange and Blue capitalized on their dominant defense by scoring 15 points on seven forced turnovers.
The Dukes cut Illinois' lead down to 20 within the first two minutes of the second half before Shannon and Guerrier recorded fast-break baskets 25 seconds apart to bring the Illini's advantage back up to 24. Duquesne started the frame by making three of its first four 3-point attempts, but the Orange and Blue battled back with an efficient effort on the offensive end.
With the Illini's lead at 58-37, five straight points from Shannon – an uncontested 3-pointer and a flying dunk after driving past three defenders – saw Illinois extend its edge up to 26 points, 63-37, with 14 minutes to play. The Dukes responded with an and-1 layup before the Illini pieced together a 9-0 run to take a 72-40 lead two minutes later.
Duquesne continued to battle, as the Dukes used a 7-0 run to cut their deficit to 23 with seven minutes remaining. The Illini went nearly four-and-a-half minutes without a field goal before Shannon reached the 30-point mark with a second-chance layup, extending Illinois' edge back to 25 with six minutes to go.
Domask climbed above the 20-point mark after accounting for the Illini's next four points, while Guerrier secured a double-digit scoring total with a dunk with just over three minutes remaining. His flush gave Illinois an 86-61 edge, while it signaled the fourth Orange and Blue scorer to reach double figures. Closing the night on a 5-2 run, the Illini punched their ticket through to the next round.
Illinois now travels to the Sweet 16 in Boston, where it will take on No. 2 seed Iowa State at the TD Garden on Thursday.