Illini fans celebrate as team punches ticket to Sweet 16 in NCAA tournament

Fans in Chicago watching the second-round game between Illinois and VCA are celebrating to see the Illini book their ticket to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA March Madness tournament.

Fans packed Joe's on Weed Street at 940 W. Weed St., with every table filled with orange and blue. Those Illini supporters were energized from tip-off all the way to the final buzzer. 

Chanting in celebration, Illinois fans basked in a second-round victory in the tournament over Virginia Commonwealth University.

There was a little bit of nervous energy during a tight first half, but once the Illini pulled away in the second half, fans were feeling confident, saying they've enjoyed the exciting atmosphere of the first two rounds of the tournament.

Now, fans are looking forward to the Illini continuing their run in the Sweet 16, but recognize that the competition only gets tougher.

"Very, very great win for Illinois, it's going to be an interesting one against Houston, definitely going to be a tough run up, but excited for the next step for sure," Alex said.

"These boys can play, that's so clear, the ceiling is the roof! We got this! Honestly, everything I wanted happened. Tommy's jump shot splashing from the ceiling! Oh my god! Houston doesn't scare me. None of these teams scare me, they figured it all out," Mike said.

Some fans said they are looking at possible flights and hotels to go see the team in Houston to watch the team continue their success.