CHAMPAIGN - A driving basket by Kenny Hayes with 36 seconds to go in overtime sucked every ounce of pre-Christmas joy out of the Assembly Hall on Thursday night. | Photo gallery

Hayes' basket helped the Miami RedHawks get over the hump, 61-58, in what could be regarded as Illinois' worst pre-conference home loss since Lon Kruger's team fell to George Washington in November 1998.

Illinois (6-4) had a chance when it forced a turnover with 1.6 seconds to go.

An inbounds pass to the top of the key found Illini freshman Mike Tisdale with an open look. But his 3-pointer caromed off the rim at the buzzer.

As power outages continued on offense, this loss officially changes Illinois' basketball outlook from partly cloudy to stormy. Without a victory over Missouri in the Braggin' Rights game Saturday night, there's no sunshine in the forecast for an Illini team that has been unable to win the close games that make or break a successful season.

"It's 'Groundhog Day,' there's no doubt about it," said Illini coach Bruce Weber, whose team followed a similar script in an overtime loss to Arizona and also failed to finish a game at Maryland it had a chance to win.

"It's pretty simple," Weber said. "Somehow we have to make some shots, whether it's 3-pointers or free throws.

"Now it's a confidence issue for all of us. And I have to help them through it tomorrow and see if we can get ready for Missouri."

Illinois got 24 points and 15 rebounds from Shaun Pruitt. But the negative numbers in the offensive ledger were impossible to ignore. Consider:

w The Illini were 2-for-15 from 3-point range.

w Illinois missed 10 of its 26 free throws.

w A quartet of Illini guards (Chester Frazier, Trent Meacham, Calvin Brock and Demetri McCamey) were a combined 2-for-20 shooting the ball.

w And Illinois did not score a field goal for the final 5:49 minutes of the first half, then endured a period of 12 minutes in the second half without making a basket.

That Illinois didn't lose the game in regulation is a minor miracle. Miami (6-4) led 52-45 with less than a minute to play when Pruitt scored on a rebound and converted a free throw to cut the RedHawks' margin to 52-48 with 59.4 seconds to go.

After a Miami turnover, Brian Randle (14 points) drove and scored on a left-handed scoop to make it 52-50 with 49.8 seconds to play.

With the crowd up and howling, Illinois fouled Miami's Tim Pollitz, a 76 percent free-throw shooter. But Pollitz, who finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds, missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Randle grabbed the rebound.

Pruitt took a shot at the other end, but it was Randle who ended up with the ball underneath, scoring with 24 seconds to play to tie the score at 52.

Miami played for a final shot, but Hayes' jumper at the buzzer missed.

In overtime, though, Miami made two key baskets that turned the game in the RedHawks' favor.

With the score tied 54-54, Miami used three quick passes to move the ball around the Illini defense, the ball settling in the hands of Michael Bramos, who buried a 3-pointer for a 57-54 lead with 2:25 to go.

Bramos, Miami's leading scorer, did not start with a tender ankle, but logged 35 minutes and scored 14 of his 19 points after halftime.

Pruitt answered Bramos' 3-pointer with a basket on a feed from Calvin Brock that pulled the Illini to within one with less than two minutes to play.

But the clincher came when Hayes isolated Illini freshman guard McCamey and scored a difficult, driving basket high over Pruitt's attempted block.

That made it 59-56 with 36 seconds to go.

And when Frazier's pass in traffic to Pruitt resulted in a turnover, Illinois had to foul Bramos, who hit both free throws.

Pruitt's basket with 3.7 seconds to go was not enough.

"I've always wanted to play here," Miami coach Charlie Coles said. "It's a phenomenal place. It's a big win, a huge win.

"And you have our guy in football, Ron Zook," he said, correctly pointing out that the Illini football coach is a Miami alum. Zook attended the game.

"Don't be mad at Miami tonight because (you have) Ron Zook. Remember Zook, guys."

Nowadays, that's all Illini fans care to remember.