LAHAINA » Tyler Griffey knew where and how the 2012 EA Sports Maui Invitational was won for Illinois — and it wasn’t on Maui.
The Fighting Illini of the Big Ten have three shot-happy guards who usually carry the scoring load, but it was Griffey, the senior forward, who made the back-breaking shots in Illinois’ first Maui championship on Wednesday, a 78-61 win over Butler.
But to Griffey, his consecutive second-half 3-pointers weren’t it, either. He traced his team’s success to the 78-77 overtime win at Hawaii last Friday, in which D. J. Richardson hit a corner 3-pointer with one-tenth of a second left on the clock when the ball left his hand.
"I know not a lot of people (from Illinois) liked us coming over and playing in Hawaii beforehand, but I think that helped us get accustomed to the time change and getting our legs prepared," Griffey said. "But first of all, it was a tough game, but it really helped us fight through the fatigue of jet lag and got us ready to play for the tournament."
Thus, the sharpshooting Illini continued their unbeaten run under new coach John Groce in the Maui title game before a capacity crowd of 2,400 at the Lahaina Civic Center. Senior guard Brandon Paul scored 20 points with four assists and no turnovers to cap a prolific tournament run, winning him MVP honors.
Paul was consistently good, helping Illinois (6-0) build and maintain an early lead. But both coaches agreed on the point where the game was won, and it wasn’t from shots launched from the hands of the MVP.
The unheralded 6-foot-9 Griffey, of Wildwood, Mo., knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to turn a seven-point lead into 13 in a 37-second span with under 10 minutes to play. First from the right corner, then from straight away, forcing Butler coach Brad Stevens to call timeout while Illini teammates rushed Griffey for midair chest bumps.
Griffey — like his apparent country persona — stayed grounded, and hustled into his team’s huddle.
"In the second half, we really stayed home and went away from our core system quite a bit," Stevens said. "It got us back in the game until Griffey hit those two 3s, but that’s what they’ll do. …They’ll go on 6-0 or 9-0 runs, and then bang, game is different. We’re right in the game and a 6-0 run and bang, game is over."
Point guard Tracy Abrams scored 17 for the Illini, while Griffey and Richardson — Illinois’ other all-tournament team entrant — added 14 each in holding off the Bulldogs late.
Butler snuck within 49-44 on a 3-pointer by Rotnei Clarke, who scored 27 points with six 3-pointers and was the Bulldogs’ lone entry on the all-tournament team.
Paul answered with a tough, fading bank shot from 18 feet, then it was Griffey Time. His dual daggers gave him a career-high four 3-pointers in only five attempts. He’s been selective for his career, totaling only 27 deep balls in three previous seasons at UI.
"Well, I missed my first one, and Coach (Dustin) Ford, our assistant coach, came up to me and put me back in the game," Griffey said. "He said, ‘Don’t hesitate, if you hesitate, you’re coming out.’ I said, ‘Okay, Coach.’ … Tracy Abrams gave me two good looks … I couldn’t do it without Tracy or Brandon at the point giving me the ball."
Illinois hit 10 3-pointers, keeping alive its streak of double-digit treys in every game this season. In Groce’s attacking system, the Illini have too many shooters to keep tabs on at all times.
"I think Coach Groce’s offense opened it up for us," Paul said. "We pretty much have the green light. The offense works with the type of players we have on the team. … (It) gives us a chance to make baskets."
Marquette 72, USC 64
Jamil Wilson scored 19 points lift the Golden Eagles (4-1) over the Trojans (3-2) in the fifth-place game.
Wilson made seven of nine field-goal attempts off the bench, throwing up shakas each time he hit a 3-pointer.
Texas 69, Mississippi State 55
Sheldon McClellan scored 19 points off the bench, leading the Longhorns (3-2) past the Bulldogs (1-4) in the seventh-place game.
Texas went up by 18 points in the first half and coasted in.
