Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. Scores 40, Sets Big Ten Tournament Record in Semis Win

Terrence Shannon Jr. made history in Illinois' win over Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament semifinals on Saturday.

The senior guard scored 40 points in the 98-87 win over the Cornhuskers, setting a new Big Ten tournament record. The previous record holder was Northwestern's Michael Thomas, who dropped 35 against Minnesota in 2011.

Shannon was an efficient 11-of-22 on the game, shooting 5-for-9 from deep and 13-of-16 from the free throw line. The Texas Tech transfer is averaging 21.9 points per game this season.

Now Illinois has a date with Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament championship game on Sunday. The Badgers took down top-seeded Purdue in overtime Saturday afternoon to advance to the final.

In Illinois' previous meeting with Wisconsin earlier in March, the Illini won 91-83 behind Marcus Domask's 31 points. A win would give Illinois its first season with 25 wins since the 2005-06 season.

The Illini are heading to the NCAA tournament with or without a win, but taking down Wisconsin could have seeding implications. Illinois is currently considered to be a No. 3 seed by ESPN's Joe Lunardi, but the outcome of Sunday's championship game could impact that position.

Wisconsin, which also doesn't need a win to reach the tournament, is considered to be a No. 5 seed by Lunardi and is looking to potentially boost its position.

The Big Ten tournament championship game will tip off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.