Ohio State 68, Illinois 63 (OT)

[January 29, 2016]  After squandering a seven-point lead in the final three minutes of regulation, Ohio State regained its bearings in overtime to claim a 68-63 Big Ten victory over Illinois on Thursday night at State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill.

Sophomore center Trevor Thompson paced the Buckeyes with 16 points off the bench, canning all seven of his field-goal attempts. Sophomore forward Keita Bates-Diop added 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds to help the Buckeyes (14-8, 6-3 Big Ten) outrebound Illinois 51-34 and sweep the season series.

Junior guard Kendrick Nunn led Illinois (10-11, 2-6) with 24 points. Junior guard Malcolm Hill, the Big Ten's No. 2 scorer at 18.7 points per game, finished with 12 points. He shot 3-for-14 from the floor.

With Illinois trailing 66-63 in the waning seconds of overtime, Hill brought the ball upcourt and lost it outside the 3-point arc after colliding with Bates-Diop. Ohio State freshman Mickey Mitchell broke away for a clinching layup with 1.8 seconds left.

Illinois built a 13-2 lead in the opening seven minutes as Ohio State missed eight of its first nine shots and committed three turnovers, but it became the Illini's turn to go cold, and the Buckeyes' taller, quicker lineup began controlling the boards.

Illinois missed 10 consecutive shots over a 10-minute stretch that began with seven minutes left in the first half. The Buckeyes took their first lead, 23-22, on Bates-Diop's tip-in with 2:52 left in the first half. Ohio State carried a 29-24 lead into the break and stayed at least two possessions ahead of the Illini until junior center Maverick Morgan's layup with 1:19 left pulled the Illini within 58-55.

Freshman guard Jalen Coleman-Lands' 3-pointer with 57 seconds left pulled Illinois into a 58-58 tie -- taking the lead away from Ohio State for the first time since late in the first half.

Illinois had the last shot in regulation with a chance to win, but Hill's step-back 3-pointer with four seconds left was deflected by Bates-Diop.

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