Ayo Dosunmu plays superhero role while wearing mask in Illinois’ victory against Ohio State.

Masked guard rallies No. 4 Illini to another win

When doctors presented Illinois star guard Ayo Dosunmu options for gear to protect his broken nose, he didn’t hesitate. He wanted to look cool.

Wearing a black mask in his return from a three-game absence, Dosunmu drew comparisons online to Zorro, Batman, the Black Panther and, as coach Brad Underwood suggested, Catwoman.

“I feel like a superhero,” Dosunmu said.

Look good, play good. Dosunmu, a noted comic book enthusiast, was in save-the-day rescue form yet again Saturday afternoon, hitting clutch shots down the stretch to help No. 4 Illinois edge No. 7 Ohio State 73-68 in Columbus, Ohio.

Coupled with a victory Tuesday at No. 2 Michigan, the Illini appear in good shape to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

“I couldn’t be prouder of Ayo,” Underwood said. “There’s nothing easy about taking 10 or 11 days off. Wearing a face mask and to get back into it, that’s really hard to do. He should be commended for that.”

Dosumu finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the regular-season finale. The Illini (20-6, 16-4) are the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and play in Friday’s quarterfinals. The tournament begins Wednesday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Illinois carries momentum to Indianapolis, having won 11 of its last 12.

The way the Illini closed the victory at Ohio State only added confidence to a team overflowing with it.

The Buckeyes (18-8, 12-8) led 68-64 after a 3-pointer from E.J. Liddell with 3 minutes, 44 seconds left before Illinois hit a higher gear.

Da’Monte Williams hit a 3-pointer to tie the game 68-68 with 1:31 left, and Dosunmu hit a go-ahead layup and drew a foul with 44 seconds to play. He made the free throw for a 71-68 Illinois lead.

Dosumu rebounded a miss and Ohio State fouled, and he hit two more free throws to seal it.

“There were like two minutes left and I just told myself, ‘Let’s focus in. Let’s bring this home,’ “Dosunmu said. “I always try to seize the moment.”

Dosunmu was injured on a hard hit under the basket in a loss on Feb. 23 against Michigan State. He said he sat out because of a concussion, not the broken nose.

He expects to wear the mask in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.

Wearing it as much as possible, even around his apartment, helped him adjust to the semi-obstructed peripheral view.

“It looks cool, but I would say it’s a unique situation,” he said. “When I sweat, the mask can really slide a little bit, so I got it tighter. But I enjoy it. It makes me focus in more. It feels like every shot I’m shooting, I look at it like an extra contest (by a defender).” Dosunmu was thrilled to see his teammates go 3-0 without him. And he appreciated their efforts again Saturday alongside him.

Freshman point guard Andre Curbelo has grown exponentially while taking on more of the ballhandling and scoring load when Dosunmu was out.

Curbelo continued to flow with his teammate’s return, scoring 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting with five rebounds and six assists against the Buckeyes. Center Kofi Cockburn added 12 points.

“I was so proud when I saw them execute in big-time situations and win those three games,” Dosunmu said. “To win a national championship, you play six games. I’m going to need my teammates to be successful. It was a blessing in disguise to see them be able to grow up even more and excel in different roles.”

Dosunmu said he picked the black mask in part to honor Kobe “Black Mamba” Bryant, his favorite NBA player who died in a helicopter crash last year at age 41. Dosunmu also was drawn to the choice because LeBron James wore a similar mask when he was injured with the Miami Heat.

“I just love the way if feels,” Dosunmu said.

Illinois seems to be hitting a stride.

Like many teams who take high expectations into March, the Illini are feeding off perceived slights.

They seem particularly miffed about Michigan winning the Big Ten title despite playing fewer games than Illinois. The Wolverines (19-2, 14-2 entering its season final Sunday against Michigan State) faced a long layoff because health officials ordered them to shut down athletic competition for COVID19-related issues.

The Illini have avoided COVID-19 stoppages in their program but made up games that were canceled because of issues in opponents’ programs.

“I know this,” Underwood said. “Nobody’s won more games than us. And we’ve played them all.”

Trent Frazier held a sign that read “B1G Champs” as the Illini exited the court. Said Dosunmu, “We believe we’re Big Ten champions.”

The Illini can earn more than the conference title, and they know that. They have the man in the mask after all.

“I feel like we have the chance to win a national championship,” Dosunmu said.