Ohio State never held a lead in the first half against Illinois, but it was Brad Underwood and company that trailed by the time home fans hit the exits in Champaign.
The Buckeyes weathered an early storm and held on late against the No. 15 Fighting Illini to edge out a 86-83 victory over Illinois at State Farm Center, as the 22nd-ranked Buckeyes picked up their best win in well over two months with the help of a strong showing for most of the final 20 minutes.
In what was a one-point game with 9.5 seconds to go, Kyle Young and Cedric Russell split a pair of free throws and Ohio State got stops on its last two defensive possessions to help secure the road win.