Illinois squeaks by No. 10 Ohio State

Box Score

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Alexis Burke made a game-winning layup with two seconds left to give Illinois a 66-65 win against No. 10 Ohio State on Thursday night.

After Tayler Hill drove the lane for a driving right-handed layup in traffic with 19 seconds left to give Ohio State a one-point lead, Burke answered with a twisting go-ahead basket to give Illinois (9-16, 3-9 Big Ten) its first win against a ranked opponent this season.

Adrienne Godbold led four Illini players in double figures with 16 points, and set up the win with a pair of free throws with 40 seconds left that gave Illinois a a 64-63 lead.

Hill scored 20 points to lead Ohio State (21-3, 8-3), who have now lost two out of the last three games. Ashley Adams tied a career high with 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Five quick Ohio State turnovers to start the game set up back-to-back Amber Moore 3-pointers to give Illinois a 18-10 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half, and the Illini went into halftime with a 34-29 lead.

But the Illini’s lead didn’t last long into the second half. Consecutive 3-pointers from Samantha Prahalis and Hill gave Ohio State a 44-42 advantage with 13:24 left in the game.

Later, a layup by Hill and a Prahalis baseline jumper gave Ohio State a 56-44 lead with less than nine minutes remaining. But Illinois responded with a 12-0 run to even the score at 56-56, setting up the back-and-forth exchange that lasted till the closing seconds.

Karisma Penn scored 11 points for Illinois, and Lydia McCully contributed 12 points and five assists.

The Illini forced 21 Buckeye turnovers, leading to 10 fastbreak points. Illinois also had a 16-7 advantage on the offensive glass, and outscored Ohio State 40-32 in the paint.