The No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini did not allow the Morehead State Eagles to use them as a stepping stone for a wild Cinderella run in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. With big performances from the trio of Marcus Domask, Terrence Shannon Jr., and Dain Dainja, the Fighting Illini subdued the upset dreams of the Eagles in an 85-69 victory on Thursday.
Via OptaSTATS:
Against Morehead State, @IlliniMBB became the first team to have one player with a triple-double (Marcus Domask) and two other players with 20-point games (Terrence Shannon Jr. & Dain Dainja) in an NCAA Tournament game since Michigan in 1987 vs. UNC.
Shannon Jr. paced the Fighting Illini in scoring with 26 points on 9/16 shooting from the floor while Dainja fired 21 of Illinois’ 37 bench points. Meanwhile, Domask stuffed the stat sheets with 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in 36 minutes of action.
It is also worth noting that Domask became the first player to record a triple-double in the NCAA Tournament since a fellow named Ja Morant back in 2019 when the current Memphis Grizzlies star was still leading the Murray State Racers.
“It’s definitely a cool accomplishment to have my name up there with some of the greats, and so few have done it so far,” Domask said after the victory (h/t ESPN).
“At this point in my career I’m past the personal accolades. At this point in March, it’s all about winning. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
What’s Up Next For The Illinois Fighting Illini In The Second Round of 2024 March Madness?
After taking down Morehead State, the Fighting Illini, who went 14-6 this season against Big Ten opponents, will look to keep it going when they play No. 11 Duquesne Dukes on Saturday. The Dukes are coming off an upset win in the first round over the No.6 BYU Cougars.
Whatever happens the rest of the way for Illinois State, the Fighting Illini have already bested their performance in last year’s edition of March Madness in which they only lasted just a round.
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