March Madness 2022: Taze Moore scores 21, Houston hammers Illinois to make Sweet 16

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Taze Moore scored 21 points, Jamal Shead added 18 and Houston, a Final Four team last season, advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with a 68-53 win Sunday over Illinois, ousted in the opening weekend for the second straight year.

The fifth-seeded Cougars (31-5), who lost their two best players to season-ending injuries, are headed home to Texas for the next round, which will be in San Antonio, about a three-hour drive from Houston.

Kyler Edwards added 15 points for Houston, a team often overlooked but making major noise again this March.

With Houston's fans chanting "Sweet 16, Sweet 16" in the final seconds, Edwards dropped one last 3-pointer and seconds later lifted Moore, another of Houston's transfers, off the floor.

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Houston's Taze Moore (4) goes in for a layup during the first half of a college basketball game as Illinois' RJ Melendez (15) and Coleman Hawkins (33) watch in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Pittsburgh, Sunday, March 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

For Illinois, it's another year of deep disappointment. The fourth-seeded Fighting Illini (23-10) were determined to go farther after being bumped by Loyola Chicago last year, but couldn't get past the second round again.

All-American center Kofi Cockburn did his part, scoring 19 in 38 minutes to lead Illinois. The big man spurned the NBA last year for a shot at some tournament redemption, only to come up short in what was likely his last college game.

Down by 12 in the first half, Illinois battled back and was within 56-49 after Alfonso Plummer's four-point play.

But after Shead hit a floater, Houston's