Mayer scores 21 to lead No. 18 Illini past Alabama A&M 68-47

Mayer scores 21 to lead No. 18 Illini past Alabama A&M 68-47

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Matthew Mayer scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds to help No. 18 Illinois overcome Alabama A&M’s comeback push for a 68-47 win Saturday. Mayer went 7 of 8 and scored 15 points in the second half to help Illinois close out the game late. The Illini led by 17 points…

Longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl has died covering the World Cup in Qatar

Longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl has died covering the World Cup in Qatar

Updated December 9, 2022 at 10:47 PM ET DOHA, Qatar — Longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl died on Friday while covering the Argentina-Netherlands quarterfinal at the 2022 World Cup in Doha, Qatar. As the match was winding down, NPR correspondent Tom Goldman witnessed a commotion in the press tribune at Lusail Stadium. Reporters scattered as…

No. 17 Illinois rallies late, beats No. 2 Texas 85-78 in OT

No. 17 Illinois rallies late, beats No. 2 Texas 85-78 in OT

NEW YORK — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 12 of his 16 points in overtime, including the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 3:34 remaining, and No. 17 Illinois rallied for an 85-78 victory over second-ranked Texas in the Jimmy V Classic. Matthew Mayer, who faced Texas several times at Baylor, tied a career-high with 21 points as he…

Illinois to face Mississippi State in ReliaQuest Bowl Jan. 2

Illinois to face Mississippi State in ReliaQuest Bowl Jan. 2

CHAMPAIGN — The Fighting Illini football team is headed to Florida. The team announced Sunday afternoon that it has accepted an invitation to play in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa on Jan. 2. They’ll face the Mississippi State Bulldogs from the SEC. Both teams finished with 8-4 regular season records. Illinois head coach Bret Bielema…

No. 22 Maryland tops No. 16 Illinois 71-66 to stay unbeaten

No. 22 Maryland tops No. 16 Illinois 71-66 to stay unbeaten

COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Jahmir Young scored 24 points, including a crucial 3-pointer with 14.3 seconds remaining that helped No. 22 Maryland stay undefeated with a 71-66 victory over No. 16 Illinois on Friday night. Maryland is off to a sparkling 8-0 start under new coach Kevin Willard, who became the first coach in…

Hot shooting Illini women blow out Pittsburgh 92-71

Hot shooting Illini women blow out Pittsburgh 92-71

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Fighting Illini women’s basketball team won just seven games all of last season. They’ve equaled that total this season in just eight games. Behind hot shooting both inside and out, Illinois blasted Pittsburgh 92-71 to improve to 7-1. Adalia McKenzie tallied a career high 24 points. Three other Illini scored in…

Hawkins has triple-double, No. 16 Illinois thumps Syracuse

Hawkins has triple-double, No. 16 Illinois thumps Syracuse

CHAMPAIGN — Coleman Hawkins had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, and No. 16 Illinois thumped Syracuse 73-44 in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Neither team shot well, but Illinois hit 6 of its 15 3-point attempts in the second half to send the Orange home with their third straight loss. Terrence Shannon Jr. had…

Illinois rips Northwestern, falls short in Big Ten West bid

Illinois rips Northwestern, falls short in Big Ten West bid

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Safety Sydney Brown returned a touchdown and an interception for scores and Illinois snapped a three-game losing streak with a 41-3 rout of Northwestern. Brown raced 53 yards for a touchdown after Northwestern quarterback Cole Freeman fumbled, then sprinted in for a 39-yard score off an interception, both in the third…

Illini women improve to 5-0 with blowout win over Oakland

Illini women improve to 5-0 with blowout win over Oakland

CHAMPAIGN — The Fighting Illini women’s basketball team is off to its best start since the 2014-15 season after an 84-55 win over Oakland University Monday night in Champaign. Four Illinois players scored in double figures, led by junior Makira Cook with 18 points. Senior Jada Peebles added 12 points off the bench for the…

Susannah Scaroni comes back stronger than ever after injury rehab

Susannah Scaroni comes back stronger than ever after injury rehab

URBANA — University of Illinois wheelchair athlete Susannah Scaroni announced her presence on the world stage last year with a gold medal in the 5,000 meters at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Scaroni added to her trophy case on Sunday when she won the Chicago Marathon, her first victory in one of the six world “major” marathons….

Illinois football tops Chattanooga 31-0 for its best start since 2015

Illinois football tops Chattanooga 31-0 for its best start since 2015

CHAMPAIGN — The Fighting Illini football team dominated every aspect of the game against Chattanooga Thursday night in a 31-0 win at Memorial Stadium. The Illinois offense totaled just over 500 yards, while the defense shut-out the Mocs, who were previously 3-0. Head coach Bret Bielema spoke well of the defensive effort after the game. “You…