INDIANAPOLIS - Illinois will lament this one for a while.

With opportunities to win the game in regulation and in the first overtime, Illinois finally fell to Ohio State 88-81 in double-overtime inside Conseco Fieldhouse in a Big Ten tournament semifinal today.

At the end of regulation and with a tie score, Illinois could only manage a layup attempt by Mike Davis that wouldn't have counted anyway. It was after the buzzer. At the end of the first overtime and with a tie score, Billy Cole's three-point attempt also came after the buzzer.

Despite lingering foul trouble, Evan Turner shredded the Illinois defense. He earned his fourth foul with 5:13 remaining - in regulation.

He then played the next 14:13 before he was whistled for a fifth. Turner finished with an unorthodox triple-double: 31 points, 10 rebounds, 10 turnovers. He also had six assists.

Mike Davis had 13 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. Demetri McCamey had 22 points.

Top-seeded Ohio State (26-7) advanced to face the Minnesota-Purdue winner in Sunday's title game. Fifth-seeded Illinois (19-14) will see Sunday night if it has done enough to earn an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament.

No. 5 OHIO ST. 88, ILLINOIS 81, 2OT
ILLINOIS (19-14)
Richardson 6-18 0-0 15, Paul 1-5 0-0 3, Jordan 1-1 0-0 3,  Davis 6-15 1-1 13, Cole 1-3 0-0 2, McCamey 7-19 5-5 22,  Griffey 5-7 1-2 13, Tisdale 4-7 2-2 10. Totals 31-75 9-10 81.
OHIO ST. (26-7)
Simmons 1-2 0-0 3, Hill 0-0 0-0 0, Madsen 2-4 0-0 4,  Turner 10-18 10-12 31, Lighty 5-12 2-3 12, Diebler 4-10 2-2 14,  Buford 9-20 1-5 22, Lauderdale 1-1 0-2 2. Totals 32-67 15-24 88.
Halftime-Illinois 37-31. End Of Regulation-Tied 66. End Of 1st  Overtime-Tied 75. 3-Point Goals-Illinois 10-30 (Richardson 3-10, McCamey  3-11, Griffey 2-4, Jordan 1-1, Paul 1-4), Ohio St. 9-25 (Diebler 4-9,  Buford 3-7, Simmons 1-2, Turner 1-3, Lighty 0-4). Fouled Out-Paul,  Tisdale, Turner. Rebounds-Illinois 45 (Davis 18), Ohio St. 41 (Buford,  Turner 10). Assists-Illinois 18 (McCamey 5), Ohio St. 13 (Turner 6).  Total Fouls-Illinois 21, Ohio St. 13. A-NA.

HQ Live Report - 2:28 left in second overtime - Ohio State 82, Illinois 80

-Two final possessions, two chances to win it, two shots that wouldn't have counted. That will keep you up at night.

-Evan Turner is doing work on the Illinois defense. He has 31 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. He's also had four fouls since 5:13 remained in regulation. And that buzzerbeater to clip Michigan. John Wall can't do this.

-Tyler Griffey has 12 points. That ties a career high.

Back in a m inute.

HQ Live Report - End of first OT - Illinois 75, Ohio State 75

-A fifth foul on Evan Turner here would be quite beneficial for the Illini.

-Stan Simpson and Joseph Bertrand are doing a play-by-play on the bench.

-Mike Davis has 16 boards. Career-high: 17.

-Remarkable mismanagement of the game clock on Illinois' final possession. You have to get a shot off.

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 3:40 left in regulation - Ohio State 68, Illinois 68

-We're seated parallel to that basket, Mike Davis' layup attempt wouldn't have counted, it was after the lights flashed on. Hell of a play call, though, a sharp look from McCamey.

-Mike Tisdale just fouled out, however, with 10 points and four boards. That's a blow for Illinois.

-This reminds of the 2008 semifinal against Purdue. Illinois upset the Boilers 74-67 in a game where McCamey hit six three-pointers. Illinois also beat Indiana in overtime at the '07 Big Ten tournament in Chicago.

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 2:00 left in regulation - Ohio State 62, Illinois 59

-Brandon Paul's fifth foul gives the Illini one less rebounder and capable defender with these swift wings.

-Thought for a minute that was Turner's fifth foul on Mike Davis' putback. It was whistled on Lighty.

-You're all invited to the Ed Hightower show. Don't mind the call, could do without the histrionics.

-Do the Illini have one last push?

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 5:13 left in regulation - Ohio State 59, Illinois 52

-I'm siding with the Illinois coaches on the intentional-foul call. Mike Sanzere made the call... but Paul Janssen was the official on top of the play. Not the right call. Turned into a 5-point play for the Buckeyes.

-Good recognition by Davis and McCamey in finding Tisdale, who was being defended in the post by 6-foot-7 Evan Turner.

-Tisdale's free throws were the first points for Illinois in 7 minutes, eight seconds.

-That's four fouls on Evan Turner.

Back in a minute.

HQ Live Report - 8:29 left in regulation - Ohio State 54, Illinois 50

-Ohio State doesn't respect this Illinois team. It's something we noticed at Value City Arena, in the locker room yesteday and here today.

-Make that a 15-0 run for Ohio State. The Illini look stunned. The wheels are coming off.

-Illinois has one timeout left. Tate doesn't care.

-Illinois hasn't scored in over four minutes. The zone is giving them fits.

-Mike Sanzere had a bad angle on that intentional foul call. Thought Paul Janssen was in a better position. Bruce Weber didn't agree with the call.

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 9:42 left in regulation - Illinois 50, Ohio State 49

-With 11:35 left in yesterday's game, Illinois led Wisconsin 38-26. With 11:35 left here, Illinois led Ohio State 50-41.

-Turner really hangs onto the rim on fast-break dunks. His midseason fall was one of the nastiest falls we've seen this season.

-The momentum is shifting. Ohio State with an 8-0 run.

Back in a minute.

HQ Live Report - 17:03 left in regulation - Illinois 45, Ohio State 37

-That was Illinois' first double-digit lead (45-35). Wonder if the Illini's experience yesterday, playing with a lead, will help or hinder down the stretch.

-One of the tournament highlights so far: Bubba Chisholm doing the Chief routine during halftime.

-The go-to in-bounds pass for Illinois at this point: lobbing it (way) over the defense and into the backcourt to 6-foot-10 Mike Davis.

-This is a true neutral crowd. Feels like 50-50, with overlapping Purdue fans rooting for Weber and Minnesota fans in the hotel planning an ice-fishing trip.

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 17:03 left in regulation - Illinois 41, Ohio State 35

-You have a future star in D.J. Richardson (13 points). It's not just the ability, it's that he wants to be great.

-The guy who really gets Weber's attention on the sideline is Gary Nottingham. He was just saying something to a fired-up Bruce Weber but couldn't tell what it was.

-Illinois doing a good job on the boards. Entered halftime with a 17-16 edge and Ohio State had zero second-chance points.

-That's three personals on Tisdale. He goes to the bench and Griffey returns.

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - Halftime - Illinois 37, Ohio State 31

-This McCamey-Turner battle has been brewing for years. At the end of the half, Griffey went to help Turner off the floor, and McCamey pulled Griffey away. Turner then popped up and said something unpleasant to McCamey. It's getting good.

-Ryan Bonner, of Tuscola, says Clark Kellogg used the word "differentiator" on the CBS broadcast.

-Trampoline gymnasts for the halftime show.

-Illini survived the McCamey-less stretch to close the half.

-D.J. Richardson has 11 points to lead Illinois. Mike Davis has seven boards to lead everyone.

-Buford has 11 points for Ohio State, while Turner has 10.

-Marcus Jackson reports Illinois is 13-5 this season when leading at the half.

Back in a minute

Klee

HQ Live Report - 3:44 left in the first half - Illinois 28, Ohio State 23

-William Buford's three-pointer ended a 14-0 Illinois run. It's possible that's the longest scoring run against Ohio State this season.

-Tyler Griffey giving some great minutes today. Hit a couple jumpers, set a solid screen to free McCamey, battling in the paint.

-High-level basketball being played here. If there really is "an eye test," the selection committee must be impressed, right?

-Bruce Weber still not pleased at Brandon Paul's shot selection.

-Evan Turner and Demetri McCamey are jawing at each other going into the timeout. Same thing happened at Value City Arena.

"He (Turner) wasn't talking trash. He was crying most of the time about fouls and things like that," McCamey told me after the Columbus game. "You know Evan. He's going to talk, one way or the other."

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 7:56 left in the first half - Illinois 19, Ohio State 15

-Ed Hightower just gave Weber the don't-say-one-more-word look.

-If Dallas Lauderdale and Derrick Nix had a free throw shooting contest, nobody would win.

-Dominique Keller was the first one off the bench, applauding, as D.J. Richardson stretched across the floor for that loose ball.

-Demetri has that look again. We'll see if he can continue this pace after playing 40 minutes yesterday. He's in excellent physical shape.

Back in a few.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 11:32 left in the first half - Ohio State 15, Illinois 11

-All three freshmen (Griffey, Paul, Richardson) have scored jumpers for Illinois.

-The Minnesota coaches are seated behind us, scouting for a potential championship-game appearance.

-In golf terms, Illinois has the yips on its in-bounds plays. Haven't seen them struggle this badly getting the ball in-bounds in four years.

-Tisdale to the bench with two fouls at 11:32.

-Dallas Lauderdale can't shoot outside 8 feet, but he sets a mean screen.

-Sergio McClain, aka the Peoria King, is seated behind the Illinois bench.

Back in a minute.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 13:40 left in the first half - Ohio State 11, Illlinois 7

-That's 14 threes for Diebler vs. Illinois this season.

-Brandon Paul doing a nice job on the glass.

-As we wrote today, the McCamey-Turner relationship isn't as lovey-dovey as it's portrayed. There's a distinct competition there; always has been. Demetri badly wants to beat Evan today.

-Rhode Island getting blown out by Temple probably helps by bubble teams.

Back in a few.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 16:54 left in the first half - Ohio State 6, Illlinois 2

-Illinois went with the usual starting lineup: McCamey, Richardson, Cole, Davis and Tisdale.

-The fallout from yesterday's Keller-Weber encounter? I don't expect an immediate one. The senior, who has been unsettled from his limited playing time, has only played double-digit minutes twice in the past 10 games, so if he doesn't play today, and I don't expect he will, it's not a surprise. I liken the situation to two years ago with Rodney Alexander, who barely played here at Conseco. I also think the entire situation will give them more pause in adding a juco player to their 2010 class. Can't risk chemistry issues, especially with three young guys coming in.

-Illinois had a 5-on-4 situation and didn't score. Dallas Lauderdale got poked in the eye and took a while getting down the court. Kyle Madsen checked in for Lauderdale.

-Billy Cole is defending Jon Diebler this time around.

-The Big Ten's Superman is off to a fine start. Turner with four points and a bounce-pass assist to Lauderdale.

-Rich McBride is here, Marcus Jackson reports.

-Some teams, like Purdue, put defensive pressure on you. Ohio State, on the other hand, puts so much offensive pressure on you: attack, attack, attack. The defense can't rest.

Back in a minute

Klee

HQ Live Report - 10 minutes until tipoff - No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 1 Ohio State

-According to Ohio State sports info, Illini-beater Matt Sylvester is in attendance today. Don't worry, he won't be allowed to play/shoot.

-Your stripes for today: Mike Sanzere, Ed Hightower and Paul Janssen.

-No sign of Michael Jordan yet.

-Jerrance Howard has the scout for Ohio State. Here's some of what he told me last night:

"There's only so much you can with Evan (Turner). He's by far the best player in the country," Howard said. "You can't let the other guys have career games. ... You can't let Jon Diebler have seven threes."

You'll remember Diebler has 13 three-pointers against Illinois this season.

-Houston's beating UTEP 74-70 with two minutes left. Not a good thing for bubble teams around the country.

Back in a few.

Klee

HQ Live Report - 27 minutes until tipoff - No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 1 Ohio State

-The Matto score from yesterday, courtesy the efficient and studious Illini team managers: Illinois 33, Wisconsin 29.

-Ohio State just returned to the court here at Conseco Fieldhouse. Guessing the number of OSU fans vs. Illinois fans will be about the same. Ohio State had a good turnout yesterday and just over 1,000 Illinois fans purchased tickets through the school/Big Ten office.

-Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg are a few seats down. Nantz, who has the world's greatest job, said this morning on Saturday Sportsline he expects Tiger will be back for The Masters.

-As you know, UI recruit Meyers Leonard had 19 points and 14 boards in Robinson's Class 2A semifinal win against Hales last night. Most impressive, according to our friend Brad Sturdy, was Leonard's free throw shooting (13 of 16), especially down the stretch.

-Seated up to our left in the crowd: the Davises, the Tisdales (half of Riverton), Joseph Bertrand's family, the Griffeys, the Pauls, Demetri's mom Sabrina, and the Coles, among others.

-More updates on Twitter: Follow us here.

Back in a minute

Klee

HQ Live Report - 90 minutes until tipoff - No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 1 Ohio State

Good morning everyone. Paul Klee and Marcus Jackson joining you from Conseco Fieldhouse for the Big Ten tournament semifinals. A few things to get started...

-Illinois helped itself yesterday, but we're not convinced the Illini are safely in the NCAA tournament. The bubble is shrinking. Teams you should root for today: UTEP, Cal, Purdue, Temple, Vandy, Utah State.

-Minnesota, which is out on the Conseco Fieldhouse court right now going through a shootaround, is a concern. Its resume is not that different from Illinois' - and a head-to-head win has to come into account. If Illinois loses today, and Minnnesota wins today, the Gophers and Illini would each have five RPI Top 50 wins.

-Tate on the Wisconsin win: Click here.

-Jackson's notes from Friday's games: Click here.

-Klee on Illini wanting Buckeyes: Click here.

-A tutorial from Chris Kramer on how to defend Evan Turner (and our prediction): Click here.

Tipoff's at 12:40 p.m. C-U time. Going on air with Steve Kelly and Tate if you want to tune in (WDWS 1400-AM). Either way we'll be back in a few.

Klee