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Young Illinois fan’s distraught reaction perfectly captures horrific showing vs. Maryland

Cory Nightingale

By Cory Nightingale

Published:

A young Illinois fan will probably never forget Friday night’s trip to Indianapolis to see his Fighting Illini in the Big Ten Tournament, and unfortunately, it will be for all the wrong reasons.

The 7th-seeded Illini got their doors blown off by 2nd-seeded Maryland in an 88-65 quarterfinal beatdown that wasn’t even as close as the score indicated. The Terrapins piled on 57 points in a first-half onslaught, taking a 26-point lead into the halftime locker room.

Things calmed down in the second half, as Maryland took its foot off the gas pedal and coasted to the 23-point win to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. Left in the Terps’ dust was a solid Illinois team that has won 21 games this season as Selection Sunday beckons.

And then, way back during the first half, there was that poor young Illinois fan, who was caught on camera by Big Ten Network borderline crying as his Illini trailed by 20 with 8:27 left before halftime.

Maryland’s rude treatment of Illinois and its fans, young and old, was just beginning, and by halftime, it was 57-31. We don’t know if that young fan stayed for the entire game, but however long he hung in there his loyalty to his team should be appreciated.

And that fan’s spirits should be lifted on Selection Sunday when he sees Illinois’s name pop up at a to-be-determined place to begin its NCAA Tournament run.

Cory Nightingale