A Maryland Terrapins Road Trip To Big Ten Country – Champaign-Urbana

Jan 7, 2015; Champaign, IL, USA; Maryland Terrapins guard Dion Wiley (5), forward Jonathan Graham (25), and guard Jared Nickens (11) during the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

The temperature was -1 degree as I headed into the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois to watch my two favorite college basketball teams face off. And it didn’t feel even that warm. Blistering and bitter conditions made the night feel unreal.

And inside I found an arena that was in a bit of a mess as the complex is undergoing a two-year remodeling effort, and the final product will not be on display until December of this year. Now it is just a mix of old and new seats, closed up entrances and construction zones.

Before the game I spent some time thinking about the day I had just experienced. Wandering around your old home town does that. Maybe I couldn’t walk around too much as it was too cold, but I drove around to many old haunts. And, of course, spent money on Fighting Illini merchandise……..

And then there was the game.

The first half both teams looked sloppy. Maybe they were frozen from the outside temperatures. Who could blame them?

The second half looked to be more of the same. And then the Illini exploded. Maryland looked out of sorts and the Illini cruised to a 64-57 victory. Well maybe not “cruise,” as they played pretty sloppily to the end. But in the end the Illini won their first Big Ten game of the year, just as Maryland lost their first.

Some good defense and bad shooting had kept the door open for whichever of the teams could take advantage. And the team to do so in this game was the Illini.

Now off to Steak ‘N Shake before bed. If you do not know what Steak ‘N Shake is, well, you will. A Millersville location is opening soon, with at least nine others coming to the Old Line State.