The Thursday GoMocs.com Top 10 Moments series continues today with No. 7. Check the countdown out here with
No. 8,
No. 9 and
No. 10.
No. 7 was an early sign of how truly special this team was. On the road, albeit in Springfield rather than Champaign, Illinois, the Mocs came back from nine down late in the second half for its second "Power 5" win of the campaign at Illinois.
Rewind to the start. A brilliant start it was. The Mocs charged out to a 15-point lead in the first half before settling with a 39-32 advantage at the half. It surged back to 12 (47-35) early in the second half, but the Illini had a charge to make.
It took 11 minutes. Illinois' 34-13 run flipped the score to a 69-60 deficit with 6:26 to go. Nice effort Mocs. You put up a good fight on the road against a Big Ten team. Not so fast!
Duke Ethridge, playing in his first game of the year, hit two free throws to get it back to seven. Then the barrage came…the flood of threes that swept through Springfield.
Chuck Ester got it started at 5:42 off a nice feed from
Eric Robertson.
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After a missed two on the previous possession, Ethridge hit a three with 4:39 to go making it a two-point game. Once again, Robertson with the unselfish play.
via GIPHY
Two Illinois free throws and Chuck is obviously feeling it, this time on a pass from
Johnathan Burroughs-Cook. Mocs down one, 72-71, with 3:55 to play.
via GIPHY
Time for someone new to step up.
Tre' McLean knots the score at 74-all off a dime from
Justin Tuoyo.
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A defensive stop and it's time for the capper. Who else but "3-Rob" to give us the lead for good with
Casey Jones on the assist.
via GIPHY
Greg Pryor added a jumper in the paint with 1:04 left to put the finishing touches on a 19-5 run giving his squad a 79-74 advantage in the 81-77 triumph.
As coaches are quick to note, it was a team effort.
Matt McCall shares his insights from this special run.
Matt, Tre' and Eric hit the nail on the head. Go back through the log above. Eight different players contributed to the 19-5 spurt. EIGHT either scored or assisted or blocked a shot or forced a turnover.
It also completed the double the program pulled off 18 years earlier when it defeated Georgia and Illinois to advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 in March 1997. This one did not lead to Cinderella moments, but it put an exclamation point on a 3-0 start including the season-opening win over the Bulldogs.
