MINNNEAPOLIS — The Illinois men’s basketball team blew the doors off ‘The Barn’ in Minneapolis Tuesday night, coasting to a 76-53 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood says he was relieved to find his team competitive after returning from a pause due to positive COVID tests on…
ST. LOUIS — The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team demolished Missouri in the 41st annual Braggin’ Rights game Wednesday night in Saint Louis. The final score was 88-63. Kofi Cockburn tallied 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the victors. He said he’ll enjoy his holiday travels a lot more after winning the border war…
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team beat Iowa 87-83 last night in Iowa City. Jacob Grandison and Alfonso Plummer hit 4 three-pointers each, and scored 21 points apiece to lead Illinois. The two sealed the game against an Iowa comeback, with Plummer draining a three-pointer with 80 seconds remaining. Grandison was…
CHAMPAIGN — Sophomore forward Kendall Bostic grabbed 22 rebounds and scored 12 points as the Illini women’s basketball team cruised to a 71-57 win over Eastern Kentucky Sunday afternoon. Bostic spoke matter-of-factly about her rebounding effort, which was the program’s best individual rebounding performance in 40 years. “This was a team (EKU) that we really…
LEXINGTON, Ky. — In what is becoming a nearly annual event, the Fighting Illini volleyball team has advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Volleyball Championships. Illinois defeated host and No. 7 seed Kentucky 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-10, 25-21) to reach the Sweet 16 for the tenth time in the last 14 seasons….
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball owners have locked out their players, after the collective bargaining agreement between the two sides expired on Wednesday night. The lockout means that no new contracts can be signed and that players cannot access team facilities, among other things. Illinois Newsroom’s Brian Moline talked about MLB’s labor situation with…
CHAMPAIGN — The Fighting Illini men’s basketball team overcame illness and injuries to beat Notre Dame 82-72 Monday night in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge at State Farm Center in Champaign. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood detailed some of his team’s ailments after the game. “I had not seen Jacob Grandison since we got home from…
KANSAS CITY — One night after a blowout loss to Cincinnati, the Fighting Illini men’s basketball team figured things out on offense well enough to beat former head coach Bruce Weber’s Kansas State team 72-64 at the Hall of Fame Classic. Illinois guard Alfonso Plummer connected on 7-9 three-pointers for 21 points. That long-range threat…
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first eight minutes of the game, it looked like it would be a blowout Illini win. It ended up being a blowout loss to Cincinnati in the Hall of Fame Classic. Kofi Cockburn returned to action following a three-game suspension and launched his team to a 15-point lead, scoring…
CHAMPAIGN — University of Illinois football coach Bret Bielema has tested positive for COVID-19, the program announced on Tuesday. Bielema will miss this Saturday’s game at Iowa, where he played football in college, per team COVID protocols to help limit spread of the virus. In a statement, Bielema says he developed “mild symptoms” on Monday…
MILWAUKEE — The Illini men’s basketball team faltered during crunch time Monday night in Milwaukee. Marquette’s defense denied Illinois a field goal for the final seven minutes of play, overcoming a 12 point deficit to nip the 10th-ranked Illini 67-66. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood was aghast at his team’s failure to close out the…
CHAMPAIGN — The Illinois women’s basketball team raced to an 18-point halftime lead, then held on for a 72-65 win over Miami (OH) on Sunday at State Farm Center. The Illini got 31 points off the bench to improve to 2-0 on the season, led by 14 points from freshman guard Jayla Oden. Sara Anastasieska…
CHAMPAIGN — The Illini men’s basketball team opened the season with a 71-47 win over Jackson State Tuesday night in Champaign. Illinois was without starters Trent Frazier, Andre Curbelo and Kofi Cockburn. The latter is serving a three-game, NCAA-imposed suspension because he sold some personal Illini gear before deciding to return to the team for…
CHAMPAIGN — The Fighting Illini women’s basketball team tips off the season against North Carolina Central at 11 am on Tuesday. Illinois is looking to improve on a 5-18 record from last season, and Illinois head coach Nancy Fahey wants her program to turn the corner after posting just a 35-78 record in her four…
BOSTON — For University of Illinois wheelchair athletes Tatyana McFadden and Daniel Romanchuk, it was quite the whirlwind. Less than 24 hours after winning the Chicago Marathon wheelchair women’s and men’s wheelchair divisions, respectively, the two standouts both claimed second in the Boston Marathon on Monday. McFadden placed second behind Manuela Char, clocking a time…