Illinois basketball loses to UConn in Elite Eight as Huskies advance to NCAA Tournament Final Four

BOSTON — Defending national champion UConn was too much for the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Star Terrence Shannon Jr. and Illinois (29-9) were overwhelmed by the Huskies 77-52 on Saturday in the East Region final at TD Garden, falling short of the program's first Final Four appearance since 2005.

The Huskies (35-3) took control early in the second half, scoring the first 25 points after halftime and 30 in a row overall to pull away for good. UConn advances to the Final Four for consecutive seasons and will face the winner of the West Region final between Alabama and Clemson next weekend in Glendale, Arizona.

ILLINOIS HIGHLIGHTS: Illini vs UConn recap from 2024 Elite Eight

UConn big man Donovan Clingan stood tall

UConn 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan dominated for the Huskies, finishing with 22 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks and three steals. He scored UConn's first seven points and proved a defensive menace when on the court, limiting the Illini inside the paint.

It didn't stop there. Clingan scored nine points during UConn's game-turning 30-point run that included the first 25 points of the second half.

Marcus Domask kept the Illini in the game

Shannon was held to eight points on 2-for-12 shooting, while guard Marcus Domask scored 17 to lead the Illini, who trailed just 28-23 at halftime.

Domask scored 15 of his team-high 17 in the first half, keeping Illinois within striking distance before the break. The Illini finished on a 16-4 clip since the beginning of the 2024 calendar year, including the Big Ten Conference tournament championship.

Seventh-year coach Brad Underwood and Illinois finally had broken through for their first trip to the NCAA Tournament second weekend since their last Final Four trip in 2005.

This story will be updated.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois vs. UConn in Elite Eight: Huskies advance to Final Four