After back-to-back losses, the Illinois men’s basketball team (21-5, 12–3) bounced back with a win against the University of Indiana (17-9, 8-7). The Illini beat the Hoosiers 71-51 in the Sunday afternoon matchup.
Takeaways
Illinois: After a month of being sidelined, senior guard Kylan Boswell returned to the starting lineup. Since being benched because of a fractured right hand, Boswell missed the Illini’s last seven games. From the tip-off, the Illini and the Hoosiers were going back and forth. Midway through the first half, Illinois strung together 10-point run that was capped off with a three-pointer from Boswell. As the Illini entered the halftime break, freshman forward David Mirkovic helped Illinois protect its lead with three three-pointers. Mirkovic’s 15 points led Illinois into halftime with a seven-point lead.
In the second half, Boswell’s impact began to shine as he showcased what Illinois was missing in the past few games. Indiana struggled to score coming out of halftime as the Illini collectively forced five turnovers and went on another 10-point run to increase their lead to 18. Mirkovic led Illinois to the win by forcing himself to the free-throw line and adding ten more points to the scoreboard. Mirkovic ended his day with 25 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, freshman guard Keaton Wagler also helped with 18 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
Indiana: In the beginning, the Hooisers kept the game competitive and did not let Illinois get out to a quick lead. Although, as the first half continued, Illinois began to put more pressure on Indiana. This led Indiana to rush their shots, and allowed Illinois to get their scoring run. After being down by multiple possessions, senior guard Lamar Wilkerson took control of the offense and kept the margin in single digits with 14 first-half points.
Although it worked in the first half, Indiana started to stall as Wilkerson couldn’t score a bucket in the first 4 minutes. Even after Wilerson scored five straight points, it wasn’t enough to keep up with Illinois scoring. As the lead began to grow, Indiana’s chances of coming back became slim. Wilerson ended the game with 21 points.
Key Stat
Illinois’ multiple runs in the game started on the defensive side of the ball. As a team, the Illini stole the ball seven times while forcing seven turnovers in the second half. Another aspect of Illinois’ win was their offensive rebounding. The Illini grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, which led to 17 second-chance points. Those second-chance points helped Illinois gain momentum in the game and get the win over the Hoosiers.
Up Next
The Fighting Illini Men’s Basketball team will travel to California to take on the USC Trojans on Wednesday at 9 PM.