Illini Pull Away In Second Half, NCAA March 21 Scores, March 22 Schedule

Marcus Domask recorded his first-career triple-double, registering 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. It marks the sixth triple-double in Illinois' program history, the first by an Illini in the NCAA Tournament, and only the 10th overall in NCAA Tournament history. Having already recorded double-digit boards and assists, Domask capped off the triple-double performance with a dagger 3-pointer at the 2:58 mark of the second half, the team's final field goal of the game.

Tallying a season-best scoring total, Dain Dainja scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half while shooting a perfect 9-for-9 from the field. Dainja also grabbed eight rebounds, including three on the offensive glass, and he made two blocks to match his season-best tally.

Terrence Shannon Jr. finished with a team-high 26 points, his fifth consecutive game with at least 20 points. Totaling 19 points in the first half, Shannon went 2-for-3 from the field in the second period of play. He also amassed four assists, two rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Shannon's performance gives him 669 points for the season, breaking the Illinois program single-season scoring record by one point. 

Coleman Hawkins accumulated 10 points, and he went 2-for-3 from 3-point range. He also tacked on five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and one block.

Luke Goode tallied nine points on three 3-pointers. He also hauled in four rebounds. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn added six points off the bench, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers late in the first half. 

After Morehead State opened the game 9-0, Illinois settled in and responded with a 9-2 run to cut its deficit down to two points. Shannon had seven of the Illini's first nine points, though the Eagles held an early 11-9 advantage.

Dainja and Shannon combined for the Orange and Blue's first 13 points. With Morehead State ahead by six, Goode connected from 3-point range to cut Illinois' deficit to 19-16, with just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half. Shannon then moved into double figures with a steal and transition dunk, moving the Illini's deficit down to one, 19-18.

Shannon made his first 3-pointer of the afternoon before Hawkins accounted for the Illini's next five points, which came on a dunk and stepback three, the latter of which moved Illinois' deficit back to one point.

Hawkins' triple started an 11-2 run for the Illini. Shannon's and-1 layup less than one minute later put Illinois in front for the first time before Gibbs-Lawhorn connected from 3-point land. Shannon somehow got an acrobatic layup to fall through contact, which rounded out the two-and-a-half-minute run and put the Orange and Blue in front, 34-29.

Domask picked up his first points just over one minute later before Gibbs-Lawhorn rattled in his second trey of the day, which tied his career-best mark and signaled the Illini's final field goal of the first half.

Illinois went into the intermission with a 39-38 advantage, led by a team-high 19 points from Shannon. The Illini got 13 points from their bench, which included six from Gibbs-Lawhorn and four for Dainja.

Morehead State retook the lead early in the second half before Shannon made one of the plays of the day. Diving on the floor to track down a loose ball before throwing it back off a defender's knee, Shannon moved past the 20-point mark for the fifth consecutive game with a layup on the ensuing possession to put Illinois briefly back in front.

Dainja then accounted for the Illini's next nine points, which moved him into double figures for the eighth time this season and for the second time in his last four games. Dainja scored 11 points during a 14-3 Illini run, which he capped off with an emphatic transition dunk to force a Morehead State timeout. That stretch, which spanned four-and-a-half minutes, gave Illinois its largest lead at that point in the contest, 57-48, with 12 minutes to play.

A 3-pointer from the Eagles cut Morehead State's deficit down to single digits, but that did not last for long. A 9-0 run, which included points from four different Illini scorers, over a two-minute stretch pushed Illinois' edge up to 17 points with nine minutes remaining.

Five straight points from Hawkins, including his second 3-pointer, moved the Illini's advantage over the 20-point mark. Having already reached double-digit assists and rebounds, Domask then knocked down two 3-pointers in the span of 90 seconds, which clinched his triple-double.

Leading by as many as 24, the Illini closed the contest on a 42-24 run to secure a spot in the second round of postseason action.

Illinois now plays Saturday in the second round vs. 11th-seeded Duquesne.

NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Thursday, March 21 Scoreboard

Illinois 85, Morehead State 69

Michigan State 69, Mississippi State 51

Duquesne 71, BYU 67

Creighton 77, Akron 60

Arizona 85, Long Beach St. 65

UNC 90, Wagner 62

Oregon 87, South Carolina 73

Dayton 63, Nevada 60

Texas 56, Colorado State 44

Oakland 80, Kentucky 76

Gonzaga 86, McNeese State 65

Iowa State 82, South Dakota State 65

Tennessee 83, Saint Peter's 49

NC State 80, Texas Tech 67

Washington State 66, Drake 61

Kansas 93, Samford 89

Friday, March 22 Schedule (All Times Central)

Northwestern vs. FL Atlantic, 11:15 a.m.

Colgate vs. Baylor, 11:40 a.m.

UAB vs. San Diego St., 12:45 p.m.

Western KY vs. Marquette, 1 p.m.

Stetson vs. UConn, 1:45 p.m.

New Mexico vs. Clemson, 2:10 p.m.

Yale vs. Auburn, 3:15 p.m.

Colorado vs. Florida, 3:30 p.m.

Texas A&M vs. Nebraska, 5:50 p.m.

Vermont vs. Duke, 6:10 p.m.

Grambling St. vs. Purdue, 6:25 p.m.

Charleston vs. Alabama, 6:35 p.m.

Longwood vs. Houston, 8:20 p.m.

James Madison vs. Wisconsin, 8:40 p.m.

TCU vs. Utah State, 8:55 p.m.

Grand Canyon vs. St. Mary's CA, 9:05 p.m.