Illinois @ Iowa LIVEBLOG: Senior Night

It's still 20-14 at the third media timeout, 7:53 to play. Iowa sounds, uh, putrid at this point. If this keeps up, those pants are going on without a moment's hesitation.

Iowa's out of control and not even trying on defense at this point. They're lucky to only be down by 8.

Justin Johnson is a defensive liability.

-- Captain Obvious

But Iowa has only scored 5 points over the last two media timeouts. I know, a cold snap? With this team? Crazy. Now it's 25-16 at the break. Iowa's 2-6 from the free throw line, 2-8 from downtown, and finding new and inventive ways to give the ball away. I think Jeff Peterson stabbed it with a ballpoint pen, squeezed the air out of it, and threw it at the ref. That's a turnover.

This can't possibly keep up, right?

he can't even miss free throws. jesus holy lord.

Praise everything!

Big 3 for Freeman, 29-21 Illinois.

The ball just slipped out of Free's hands and the announcers asked what happened, as if it hadn't already happened 5 times today.
I hate him, I really do.

Freeman's at the line after a stupid foul, and shooting to get Iowa within 6. Better, Iowa ought to get another shot at the basket, as there's 45 seconds left in the half.

I can't even begin to guess how they'll fuck this up.

Couldn't help us right now.

Just said Tony Freeman had "back-to-back threes," as if they hadn't come about 12 minutes apart from each other.

A horrifically bad half of basketball.

"hair" is shiny as a wet badger's pelt.

A) that Iowa turned the ball over eight times in the first half?

or B) that I couldn't tell you off the top of my head if that's above or below their season average?

Only 8? It seemed like 20.

Eight BXI teams are playing today, and seven of them will not be making the tournament.

Personally, I can't wait for the main event on tonight's card: Michigan at Penn State!

wearing pants.

Tony Freeman is the Illinois MVP.

The Virus just missed an easy dunk.
Crikey!

This could be 43-23 very quickly.

Nice finish, Looby. Teach Tate.

and that's that. A little bounce pass through 8 guys into the lane by Iowa leads to a 3 by the Orange.
goddamn I'm getting frustrated

Ought to be fed to that dinosaur with the black death spit in Jurassic Park, the one that eats the fat guy.

Is Tony Freeman shooting for a double-double here? Because I don't think turnovers count towards that.

Illinois sucks too.

I'm thinking of switching to cable so I don't have the BTN. This is unhealthy for me to watch.

bad shooting. There's plenty of that going on.

But bad effort and such consistent bad decision-making is completely inexcusable.

Iowa is within single digits, despite playing so poorly that Dolphin is likely not to make it to the end of the game before walking out, never to return.

JESUS FUCKING CHRIST TATE IT'S A FREE THROW NOT A FUCKING SUDOKU, FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE ONE

Doesn't it seem like Iowa finally wakes up offensively whenever they just say "fuck it" and abandon the system?

demand a class-action lawsuit against the Iowa athletic department? This is clearly not college-level basketball.

41-31, Illinois, 11:14 to play, Looby at the line to miss shoot two.

But uh... this game isn't over.

Even with Tony Freeman's 19th turnover of the night on a horseshit pushoff call 3 seconds after the nonexistent contact, he just got a makeup call and he's going to the line to shoot two. 43-35 Illinois with 7 and change to play. If he makes them both (and he's pretty good at the line), then Iowa's within 6, and Illinois has gone ice-cold from the field. Plus the crowd is begging to get into the game. One 3 from Johnson or Freeman and they'll go insane.

Oh Dolph, you slay me.

Freeman makes one of two, Iowa within 5, 45-40. Crowd is not, in fact, dead, contrary to earlier reports.

to see a missed free throw. Like I never left!

They're constantly teasing the Michigan/Penn State game which is coming up next.

Iowa ball after a McCamey turnover. Big Boy airballs a 3 for some reason.

Gornstar's shooting touch left him.
In January.

These teams are setting basketball back by at least 50 years. If it weren't for the shot clock, the score would be 19-13.

Big possession here coming out of the timeout. We should geta good shot.

FUCKINGFUCK!!! GORNEY WITH AN 18 FOOTER??? auirsogn breaopgfmnoprea WHAT???? FUCK YOU!

There's no other way to put it. He must have 10 turnovers at this point. He has to.

"Carry On My Wayward Son"? Isn't that a bit too fresh and hip? Are people even going to recognize it?

He spends the entire time throwing the game, then he makes a 3THW to bring them within 5. Fuck you, you asshole.

Goes to the hole, initiates contact, scores, and makes the free throw, cutting it to 5 with 2:21 left.

He Hate Me.

If you can't even hit the rim, why try a 3?

1:02 to go, and Iowa's fouling Illinois's only good free thrower. Hits em both, Iowa's down 9. This one's over.

and the Iowa players were standing there pulling on their shorts, not even fouling the Illini to stop the clock.
Wow. This is reminiscent of a KOK offensive effort here. Bad, so bad.
This season should have ended 2 weeks ago.

grow a mustache and wear it for a year if my reward was punching Freeman's lifeless body in the stomach.

58-47 with scant seconds to go.

Way to go, Hawks. You've reverted to the non-conference Iowa. The one that was #240 in the RPI.

Fucking disgusting.

Illinois had lost like 6 out of 7, they come into Iowa, on Senior Day, and beat us by 11.