LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Michael Finke scored 16 points, including a four-point play to put Illinois up by two points with eight seconds left. But a last-second three for Nebraska sent the Fighting Illini to a crushing 64-63 loss on Monday night.
Finke had converted a 4-point play with 8.1 seconds left to give Illinois a two-point lead. After a Nebraska timeout, Isaac Copeland inbounded to Glynn Watson Jr., who found James Palmer Jr. on the left wing for the winning shot with 0.3 left.
The Huskers had led 61-57 with under a minute to play when Palmer dunked off a steal. But Finke scored in close on Illinois' next possession, and after Palmer missed the front end of a one-and-one, Illinois called timeout with 18.7 seconds left. Finke hit his 3 in front of the Illini bench, got fouled by Isaiah Roby and made the free throw for what looked to be the play that would give Illinois its first Big Ten win under first-year coach Brad Underwood.
Palmer finished with 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting for the Huskers (13-7, 4-3 Big Ten).
Trent Frazier scored 19 points, Finke added 16 and Leron Black had 13 for the Illini (10-9, 0-6), who are winless in six true road games. Finke finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds, his third-career double-double.Â
The Illini are one of the most snakebitten teams in the nation. They've led in the second half in eight of their nine losses, and in four of them they've had the ball with either the lead or in a tie with less than a minute remaining. Four of the six Illinois Big Ten losses have come at the buzzer at in overtime.
Up next, Illinois heads to Madison for a Friday night game against Wisconsin at 8 pm.
