Shannon Jr., Illinois upset No. 1 Kansas in charity exhibition

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — This game meant a lot more than just basketball, but No. 25 was the better ranked team.

In what was a massive step up from NAIA opponent Ottawa, Illinois would get to see how it fairs against the nation’s best in Kansas, and did not disappoint.

The Illini would get the better of the Jayhawks in Sunday’s Maui Strong exhibition at State Farm Center, and was as highly competitive as anticipated. It would come down to the wire and had all the feels of a contest in mid-March.

But thanks to Terrence Shannon Jr.’s 28 points — and many other contributors, both old and new — the home team would take the upset victory 82-75.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The first half was the Shannon and Kevin McCullar Jr. show, as both teams’ star players led the way. Both former Texas Tech teammates attempted to one up each other, with McCullar leading all scorers at 18 points and Shannon right behind with 16 into the break.

Shannon was more aggressive in the first 20 minutes from…