Illini Beat Illinois-Chicago, College Scores

John Groce hasn't always liked the way his Illinois basketball team has started or finished games early in a season when the Illini have battled injuries and inconsistency.

But when Illinois needed to respond Saturday after their double-digit lead disappeared in the second half, Groce couldn't complain with the result.

Malcolm Hill scored 22 points and Jalen Coleman-Lands added 15 as the Illini beat Illinois-Chicago 83-79 for their third straight win.

Hill hit four straight free throws in the final minute to allow the Illini (6-5) to hold off the Flames after fighting back from a late deficit when Illinois-Chicago used a 14-0 run to take a two-point lead with under 10 minutes to play.

''I think bad teams - if they weren't connected - they probably would have crumbled instead of staying composed,'' Coleman-Lands said. ''I think that was good for our team right there.''

Coleman-Lands' 3-point field goal with 4:10 remaining gave Illinois a 66-65 lead after Illinois-Chicago's offense went cold during a stretch when the Flames (1-6) missed 8 of 10 shots.

Hill, who finished 11 of 14 from the free-throw line, hit a pair of free throws with 3:49 left to snap a 66-66 tie and give Illinois the lead for good.

Michael Finke and Kendrick Dunn each had 14 points in Illinois' balanced scoring attack.

WIU 64, EIU 57 (Men)

Eastern Illinois connected for 52 percent in the opening half but the Panthers cooled off in the second half dropping a 64-57 game at Western Illinois on Saturday afternoon in Western Hall.

WIU was cold in the first half but the Leathernecks took advantage of good rebounding to remain in the game as EIU led 32-29 at the half.

EIU fell to 2-6 on the year.  The Panthers will play at Houston next Saturday in game two of the Global Sports Classic.  WIU improved to 6-2.

Both teams played a majority of the first half without their leading scorers as Garret Covington for WIU and Trae Anderson both picked up two fouls early in the half.

EIU was able to manufacture its 32-29 halftime with hot shooting and balanced scoring as the Panthers had points from several different players.  Aleksa Novakovic converted a four-point play at 8:07 that gave EIU a 19-17 lead.   EIU was 13-of-25 from the field in the opening half.
A.J. Riley scored ten first half points as seven EIU players scored in the opening half.   EIU led by five points at 32-27 with 1:02 left in the half as Luke Piotrowski backed into the lane and converted one of his two first half jumpers.

J.C. Fuller led WIU with ten first half points as WIU shot 29 percent from the field including 0-of-11 from 3-point range.  WIU entered the game second in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage.  The Leathernecks crashed the glass to stay in the game as they pulled down 13 offensive rebounds in the first half leading to nine second chance points.  EIU had a total of 13 rebounds in the first half.

WIU finally broke through for its first 3-pointer of the afternoon at the 15:15 mark of the second half which gave the Leathernecks a 39-36 lead.  Fuller drained the 3-pointer as he made all three 3’s for WIU on the day.  Fuller finished with 24 points.  WIU was 3-of-17 from 3-point range.

Fuller’s 3-pointer just prior to the second media timeout pushed WIU’s lead to 47-38.

EIU slowly chipped away at the lead with an 8-2 run that cut WIU’s lead to 49-46.  Fuller pushed the lead back to six points with his third 3-pointer.

EIU used another quick spurt to get within two points as Cornell Johnston sank a 3-pointer with 3:38 to play that trimmed the Leathernecks lead to 53-51.

Both teams had scoring droughts down the stretch.  WIU went 8:02 without scoring in the final 8:30 of the game, the only basket a dunk following a press break with 27 seconds remaining.  WIU was able to maintain a lead with nine free throws.  The Leathernecks were 12-of-20 at the line in the second half.

Anderson led EIU with 14 points followed by Johnston with 12.  Riley added 12.  EIU ended the day shooting 38 percent from the floor.

Covington reached double figures for WIU ending the day with 11.  WIU had a 47-36 rebound edge with 22 offensive rebounds.

Stetson 68, EIU 66 (Women)

Eastern Illinois women's basketball had four players earn double figures, but cold fourth quarter shooting and a pair of last second free throws allowed the Stetson Hatters to creep back into the game and win 68-66. Erica Brown earned her third double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
 
With the loss the Panthers drop to 1-9 on the season while Stetson improves to 6-3.
 
The Panthers came out shooting in their first ever game against Stetson as Halle Stull drained a three-pointer to begin the scoring. The Panthers went on a 10-0 run to begin the game, finally snapped by two free throws from Stetson’s DeAsia Beal. The Hatters did not make a basket until the 5:32 mark in the first period as EIU led 12-6.
 
The Hatters worked their way back into the game thanks to a half court basket right as the buzzer sounded from SU’s Aisha Turner cutting the Panther lead to two. Stull scored eight points in the first period finishing the game with 14 points and eight rebounds. EIU led 21-19 going into the second period.
 
Kayla Steward opened the second period sinking a three-pointer at the 9:40 mark. The freshman went 2-3 from behind the arc earning six of her 10 points in the second quarter.
 
EIU was able to build up their lead to as high as nine points following four straight free throws from Grace Lennox with 3:51 left in the first half. Lennox scored six points in the second period all from the charity stripe. Stetson answered right back going on a 10-2 run capped off by a Turner three-pointer to cut the Panther lead down to one point with 1:11 left in the half. Two quick Panther layups including EIU’s own buzzer-beater by Brittin Boyer sent the Panthers into halftime leading 43-38.

SIUE 74, Portland State 64 (Men)

SIUE men's basketball clawed back from a seven-point second-half deficit to earn a 74-64 win over Portland State Saturday at Vadalabene Center.

SIUE, which has won two straight, improved to 3-7 with the win. Portland State has dropped three consecutive games and is 3-5.

"That's a good team," SIUE Head Coach Jon Harris said of Portland State. "People talk about the West Coast style – they get up and down and average 81 (points per game). We found a way to hold them under their average. Once we slowed ourselves down on the offensive end, we were able to settle in. I thought our half-court defense was pretty good."

Following a steal from Jalen Henry, C.J. Carr dropped in a scoop shot to move the Cougars within one of Portland State at 60-59. Carr was fouled on the play, hit his free throw and the game was tied 60-60 with 7:22 to play. SIUE never trailed again. The Cougars scored 19 of the game's final 23 points. SIUE went 9 of 11 at the free throw line during the final stretch.