Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College men's basketball team faced a narrow defeat in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, losing 68-67 in overtime to Washington University in St. Louis. The game took place at the Washington University Field House on Saturday.

Illinois College concluded their season with a record of 24-5, while Washington University advanced to the round of 16 with a 20-7 record. This was Illinois College's third appearance in the NCAA Tournament and marked their first time reaching the second round after securing both the Midwest Conference Regular Season and Tournament titles for two consecutive years.

Josh Harris, a junior from Illinois College, scored a game-high 30 points. Senior Jake Mazrimas ended his career with the Blueboys by contributing 19 points and collecting 12 rebounds. For Washington University, Calvin Kapral led with 18 points among three players who scored in double figures.

The game remained close initially until Illinois College made a significant push with a 13-2 run, leading to a score of 35-24 just before halftime. They maintained a ten-point lead at intermission.

In the second half, Illinois College extended their lead to thirteen points before Washington University mounted a comeback, tying the game at fifty with just over eight minutes remaining. The teams remained neck-and-neck throughout regulation time. Washington University's Hayden Doyle had an opportunity to win at the buzzer but missed his shot.

During overtime, Illinois College briefly led by three points—the largest margin during this period—before Washington University closed in. With twenty seconds left on the clock and trailing by one point, Yogi Oliff was fouled after an offensive rebound and successfully made both free throws with only 1.9 seconds remaining. Illinois College could not manage another shot as time ran out.