Ever so often, you watch a game and you’re not entirely certain how the winner pulled it off. You give them their appropriate credit but are still baffled how they ended up with more points than the other team.
On Friday, that was No. 4 Illinois (-8) against No. 13 Chattanooga in the Men’s NCAA tournament. The Illini scraped by, 54-53, and we’re still wracking our brains at how they pieced the win together. When you’re in line for an upset and show little signs of life the entire game, you’re not supposed to get up off the mat.
The Illini’s chances of avoiding disappointment seemed unlikely when Chattanooga took a 20-6 lead halfway through the first half. It seemed outright impossible when the Mocs held a 51-46 lead with less than five minutes to go. Brad Underwood’s squad looked unprepared and completely overwhelmed throughout the night.
