PITTSBURGH — Illinois suffered another first-weekend exit from the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, turning in a dismal shooting performance in a 68-53 loss to Houston at PPG Paints Arena.
The fourth-seeded Illini got a brief spark from freshmen Luke Goode and RJ Melendez, who helped them survive another brutal start, and Illinois was neck and neck with the fifth-seeded Cougars with eight minutes left before falling apart down the stretch.
The Illini finished 23-10 and won a share of the Big Ten regular-season title, but the season will be remembered for another disappointing ending. Last year Illinois lost in the second round to Loyola as a No. 1 seed.
