Terrence Shannon Jr. Sets Big Ten Record as Illinois Secures Victory Over Nebraska

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten Conference Tournament

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Cornhuskers in the Big Ten Conference Tournament | Image: CBS Sports/YouTube

Terrence Shannon Jr. shattered the Big Ten tournament record by scoring 40 points, propelling second-seeded Illinois to a remarkable comeback against third-seeded Nebraska. The final score of 98-87 in favor of Illinois led them to the conference championship game.

Shannon’s exceptional performance included a staggering 22 points during the second half of the semifinal matchup. The Fighting Illini (25-8), currently ranked 13th, outpaced the Cornhuskers 58-36 in the latter half after trailing by 11 points at halftime.

Contributing significantly to the victory, Marcus Domask delivered 16 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds for Illinois, setting up a showdown against fifth-seeded Wisconsin in the upcoming championship game.

Additions to the scoring sheet came from Quincy Guerrier with 13 points and Luke Goode contributing 12 points from four successful 3-pointers for the Illini.

Nebraska (23-10) saw Brice Williams lead their scoring with 23 points, marking their debut appearance in the Big Ten semifinals.

Keisei Tominaga added 18 points, while Rienk Mast showcased a strong first-half performance with 13 of his 15 points for the Cornhuskers.

Shannon’s stellar shooting saw him make 11 of 22 field goal attempts and an impressive 13 of 16 free throws, surpassing the previous Big Ten tournament scoring record of 35 points set by Northwestern’s Michael Thompson against Minnesota in 2011.

Both teams exhibited similar shooting percentages, with Illinois at 46.4% from the field, including 13 of 35 successful 3-pointers, while Nebraska also shot 46.4% overall but struggled from behind the arc, making just 8 of 27 attempts.

Illinois found themselves trailing by 11 points at halftime before making a remarkable comeback in the second half, ultimately dominating the remainder of the game.

Following a 14-point deficit, the Illini rallied with a 10-0 run to close the gap to 57-53 with 13:26 remaining on the clock.

The game remained tight, with the Cornhuskers holding a slight lead at 63-58 until Illinois staged a comeback, tying the score at 68, then seizing the lead at 71-70 with a crucial basket by Goode.

Illinois’ momentum continued as they extended their lead to 82-73 following a key basket by Guerrier with 5:30 on the clock. Shannon’s 3-pointer further widened the gap to 85-74 with just 3:26 left to play.

As the game drew to a close, Guerrier’s 3-pointer pushed Illinois to a commanding 90-75 lead with 2:01 remaining, securing their victory.

In the first half, Mast’s impressive 13-point performance and Williams’ 11 points contributed to Nebraska’s halftime lead of 51-40.

Meanwhile, Shannon added 18 points in the first half for Illinois.

  1. College Sports News

    WCC to Add Grand Canyon and Seattle in 2025

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    WCC adding Seattle U and Grand Canyon University

    Seattle and Grand Canyon will be leaving the Western Athletic Conference and moving to the West Coast Conference starting July 2025.

    The nine current members of the conference are private universities with a religious affiliation. Seattle is a Jesuit institution, while Grand Canyon, situated in Phoenix, is a Christian college.

    Grand Canyon’s basketball achievements were a significant factor in attracting WCC commissioner Stu Jackson. The team has participated in the last two NCAA Tournaments and three of the previous four under the leadership of coach Bryce Drew.

    As the 12th-seeded Antelopes defeated fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s before losing to Alabama in the tournament this season.

    Saint Mary’s is currently a member of the West Coast Conference.

    The WCC, while also integrating Oregon State and Washington State this autumn (excluding football), will expand from 11 to 13 members by the 2025-26 season.

    The future beyond 2026 looks uncertain, with Oregon State and Washington State appearing unlikely to continue with the WCC.

    The former Pac-12 schools are under a two-year contract, expiring on June 30, 2026. Sources from CBS Sports suggest that the odds of the two Pacific Northwest institutions staying are slim, with a move to the Mountain West or a new conference formation being more probable.

    Following the departures of Sam Houston and New Mexico State last year, Seattle and Grand Canyon’s exit from the WAC will reduce the conference’s membership to just eight by July 2025.

    Continue Reading
  2. College Sports News

    Ex-Cal State Fullerton G Max Jones Commits to Kansas State

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Kansas State adds athletic wing in left-handed shooter Max Jones

    Former guard of Cal State Fullerton Max Jones has made a decision to join Kansas State for his upcoming collegiate season, according to reports.

    Notable alternatives that Jones purportedly pondered were New Mexico, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Florida Atlantic, and Loyola Chicago.

    During the previous season with the Titans, Jones maintained an average of 15.3 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24 games, in which he started 21. He secured the second-highest scoring position within the team, alongside being the second in 3-pointers with 42 baskets and 41 steals.

    In the season prior, Jones held an average of 12.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in 32 games, amassing 34 three-pointers and 30 steals.

    Before making his way to Cal State Fullerton post the 2021-22 season, Jones spent two years at Division II Tampa, where he managed to achieve an average of 21.9 points across 21 games during his sophomore year with the Spartans.

    In the recent offseason, Kansas State acquired Dug McDaniel, a former player from Michigan recognized as one of the premier point guards available in this year’s transfer portal.

    Continue Reading
  3. College Sports News

    Stanford Names Basketball Court in Honor of Tara VanDerveer

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    View From The Top with Tara VanDerveer, Former Coach of Stanford Women’s Basketball

    Tara VanDerveer’s legacy at Stanford will now be visibly acknowledged, with the school revealing on Thursday that the basketball arena’s floor will bear the name of the esteemed Hall of Fame coach.

    At the age of 70, VanDerveer stepped down following her 38th season at the helm of the Cardinal.

    She steered Stanford to 14 Final Fours and secured three national championships (1990, 1992, 2021). VanDerveer embarked on her coaching journey at Idaho (1978-80) and later coached at Ohio State (1980-85).

    In January, she surpassed Mike Krzyzewski to clinch the title of the most successful college basketball coach in history, across both men’s and women’s teams. VanDerveer concluded with a remarkable 1,216-271 record, boasting a 1,064-220 tally with the Cardinal.

    Alongside the unveiling of the Tara VanDerveer Court at Maples Pavilion this November, Stanford also established an endowed position in women’s basketball for an assistant coach in VanDerveer’s honor.

    VanDerveer said in a statement, “This endowment will go a long way to strengthening the future of Stanford women’s basketball. I have many wonderful memories of leading the women’s basketball program at Maples Pavilion.”

    “It’s an honor, and a little surreal, to know that my name will be linked to both in these ways, and I look forward to celebrating with all our fans this fall.”

    Last month, Stanford appointed Kate Paye, one of VanDerveer’s longtime assistant coaches who played for the Cardinal from 1991-95 and began coaching under VanDerveer in 2007, as the new head coach.

    Continue Reading