Illini end Panthers' Cinderella run

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Standing at midcourt, Deron Williams and Dee Brown grinned at each other and slapped hands.\nIt's tough enough stopping one of Illinois' standout guards when he's having a good night. Make it two, and that's just not a fair fight.\nWilliams and Brown gave upstart Wisconsin-Milwaukee all that it could handle and then some Thursday night, combining for 42 points, 10 assists and some nasty defense to lead Illinois to a 77-63 victory and a spot in the Chicago Regional finals.\nWilliams had 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting and eight assists. Brown scored 15 of his 21 from 3-point range, and had two assists and two steals. Roger Powell Jr. and Luther Head added 12 each, and James Augustine finished with 11.\nThe top-seeded Illini (35-1) will play the winner of the Oklahoma State-Arizona game Saturday for a chance to go to their first Final Four since 1989.\nJoah Tucker led UWM (26-6) with a career-high 32 points, but he was a one-man offense. UWM shot 39 percent, and leading scorer Ed McCants was 4-of-17 overall for 13 points. Illinois forced the Panthers into 12 turnovers while committing only nine.\nThe victory was some payback for Illinois fans, who still harbor a grudge against UWM coach Bruce Pearl for the role he played in a recruiting scandal some 15 years ago. Pearl gave the NCAA a tape of a secretly recorded phone call in 1989, touching off a 16-month investigation. Illinois was cleared of the most serious violations, but had to skip the 1991 postseason.\nPearl said earlier this week he expected a hostile reception, and he got it. The Illinois fans booed him loudly when he was introduced.