BOSTON — Terrence Shannon Jr. spent most of the second half saddled with foul trouble.
When it was finally time to check back in, the high-scoring wing didn’t hesitate.
He put third-seeded Illinois on his back, leading the its to its first Elite Eight appearance since it reached the national championship game 19 years ago.
Shannon sank a clutch 3-pointer, set up a teammate Dain Dainja for a dunk and came up with the clinching steal and basket in a 72-69 victory over No. 2 Iowa State.
He scored nine of his game-high 29 points in the final 5:08 in the showdown pitting the top-rated offense (Illinois) against the top-rated defense (Iowa State).
Ironically, Illinois’ defense was one of the keys to the win.
It held Iowa State to 39.3 percent shooting from the field and won the battle on the boards by five.
Illinois’ prize: No. 1 Connecticut, with a Final Four spot on the line Saturday night at TD Garden.
It has now won 10 of its last 11 games, including a Big Ten Tournament title.
The lone loss came to Purdue, the top seed in the Midwest Region.
Curtis Jones scored 26 points for Iowa State and Keshon Gilbert added 14.
Coleman Hawkins has 12 points, six rebounds and three assists for Illinois.
Shannon was again the star, and is now averaging 28.3 points over three games in this tournament.
He has yet to speak to the media since returning from a six-game suspension the third week of January on the advice of legal counsel.
The 6-foot-6 Chicago native is facing rape or an alternative count of sexual battery allegations from a Sept. 9 incident at a Lawrence, Kan., bar.
Shannon was in town to watch the Illinois football team take on Kansas.
He only was reinstated because a federal judge granted him a temporary restraining order that forced Illinois to reinstate him.
He is due back in court in May.
Illinois controlled the first half, leading by as many as 11 and taking a 10-point lead into the break.
Shannon was dominant, producing 16 points as the Illini handled the Iowa State pressure well (five turnovers).
The Cyclones, meanwhile, struggled shooting the ball, missing 22 of 31 shots.
They started the second half better, quickly getting to within four as Gilbert caught fire, scoring six quick points.
Iowa State could never get off the jump, getting as close as two twice. But never pulled even.
