"Big ten is so rigged": Nebraska's second half collapse against Illinois leaves Cornhuskers fans drawing wild conclusions

The Big Ten Tournament Semi-Finals pitting the Nebraska Cornhuskers against the Illinois Fighting Illini, two teams with nearly identical records at 23-10 and 25-8 respectively, promised to be a good encounter.

For the Nebraska Cornhuskers, it was a disappointing evening as they surrendered a 15-point lead in the second half as Illinois stormed back in to pull off a 98-87 victory.

The fans had a hard time accepting the improbable loss for Nebraska, though. Their collapse led fans to make some wild accusations, going so far as to claim cheating in the games.

It began with one fan claiming that the entire conference was "rigged".

"Big ten is rigged and it's so obvious"

This wasn't an isolated incident, though. Multiple fans chimed in with similar opinions about the league being rigged.

"Big Ten doesn't want Nebraska to win I guess."

"The fix is in"

"Abysmal officiating"

"Illinois is paying the refs off"

"Illinois just wants it more this half, plus getting 6 more fouls than Nebraska helps"

The referees were the ones who caught most of the flak from the fanbase. Those 6 extra foul calls on Nebraska rubbed more salt over the wounds.

"Can't play 8 on 5 it's pathetic the B10 keeps letting officials like this keep their jobs"

"Big time collapse. Refs had to move the game to get them a double bonus with 10 to play. Shifted everything"

"B1G should be embarrased by the officiating bias in both semifinals."

With the Cornhuskers already in the NCAA Tournament, some fans were quick to move past this defeat and focus on the upcoming slate of games.

"Tough to blow a 15 point lead and go against the refs, let's regather ourselves and get ready for the tournament"

"Selection Sunday on tap. #GBR"

"Proud of you boys. Not done yet. We've got a tournament run coming up."

"All good fellas regroup and let's cook next week"

According to one fan, Nebraska had a far better chance in the NCAA Tournament purely because of the conflict with the officials.

"All good! We’ll make a run in the tournament since we wont get B1G refs. Congrats on a great season! GBR forever and always"

Some fans didn't see it as a referee or tournament-rigging problem. They were ready to admit that their team got outplayed on both ends in the second half.

"Just couldn’t hit, and we needed to be better on defense. But I’m excited to see our name on Sunday in the bracket. #GBR"

Nebraska Cornhuskers look to turn embarrassing collapse into motivation for NCAA Tournament

Terrence Shannon Jr. had a fulfilling night playing for the Illinois Fighting Illini. A career-high 40 points paved the way for his team to fight back into the contest, eventually finding victory.

After a strong start, with 18 points in the first 12 minutes, Shannon hit a bit of a rough patch. But, the second half saw him come alive as Illinois fought its way back in after going down by as much as 15.

Terrence Shannon Jr. for Illinois

His 40 points were a Big Ten Tournament record, breaking the 35-point mark set by Michael Thompson in 2011, with a 13-2 run early in the second half triggering the comeback for the Illini.

For both teams, who fall outside the AP top 25, a shot at the NCAA title will require a magnificent run. Who do you think has a better shot at coming out of March Madness as the victor? Let us know in the comments below.