College basketball

Buckeyes end Illini's chance at perfection

OHIO STATE 65, NO.1 ILLINOIS 64: Matt Sylvester's 3-pointer caps a 7-0 run and hands Illinois its first loss.

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Its perfect season gone, the next challenge for Illinois is turning a loss into a lesson.

"Everyone says a loss will help. We'll find out," coach Bruce Weber said. "We'll learn from it and move on. This next stretch is the most important of the year, and that's what people are going to remember."

Matt Sylvester made a 3-pointer with 5.1 seconds left on Sunday as Ohio State handed the No.1 Illini their first defeat 65-64.

Illinois (29-1, 15-1) was trying to cap the Big Ten's first unbeaten season in 29 years. Instead, it frittered away a 12-point lead in the second half and didn't score during the final three minutes.

Sylvester scored a career-high 25 points for a team that was banned from the postseason by its administrators two months ago for NCAA violations.

"We were in the huddle, and coach (Thad Matta) told us, "We're not going halfway. We're going for the win,"' Sylvester said.

Matta drew up a play in which center Terence Dials set a pick and rolled to the basket and guard Tony Stockman was used as a decoy. The Illini bit on the deception.

"As we left the huddle, Matt said, "I'll make the shot,"' Matta said. "And he did."

Ohio State (19-12, 8-8) didn't commit a turnover in the second half and Illinois committed seven.

"We didn't take care of the ball, and they made all the plays at the end," Illinois center Jack Ingram said. "They won it."

It was the second straight season a team coached by Matta ended a run at perfection. Xavier handed Saint Joseph's its first loss in the Atlantic 10 tournament.

"I'd like to be the other team just one time," Matta said, laughing. "I'm living for the day I'm the No.1 team and someone else is trying to do it to us."

The last team to reach the NCAA Tournament unbeaten was UNLV in 1991. Saturday, Matta showed his players clips of several huge upsets, including the Rebels' loss to Duke in the national semifinals that season.

Illinois led 64-58 after James Augustine's layup with 3:23 left. But the Buckeyes scored the final seven. Dials scored on a half-hook and Sylvester drove for a left-handed scoop to make it 64-62 with 1:40 left.

"They were loosey-goosey," Weber said of the Buckeyes. "They didn't quit. They're an NCAA Tournament team. Playing on their homecourt, they made the plays."

With just more than a minute left, Illinois' Deron Williams drove the lane and wrapped a pass around a defender to Roger Powell. But Dials blocked the shot. Sylvester missed a 15-footer. Then Illinois' Luther Head missed a 3-pointer with 17 seconds left to set up Sylvester's winner.

"This feels so good, I can't describe it," Sylvester said.

After a timeout, a pass was tipped out of bounds. With 2.2 seconds left, Williams passed to Powell, whose 3-pointer from the top of the circle was well short.

Matta was asked if the win makes his team's postseason ban more difficult to accept.

"Yeah, I thought we could win the national championship," he said, joking. "And nobody's ever going to know."

[Last modified March 7, 2005, 01:58:12]