Illini Can't Overcome Slow Start, Fall to Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Leron Black had 14 points and Trent Frazier added 12 points and 6 assists but Illinois couldn't overcome a slow start in a 77-67 loss at Minnesota on Wednesday.

The Fighting Illini trailed by 20 in the first half and by 13 at halftime before cutting the deficit to 4 midway though the second half, but could not complete the road comeback.

Jordan Murphy had 17 points and 17 rebounds while Nate Mason added 17 points and 6 assists for Minnesota (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten). Amir Coffey had 16 points, Dupree McBrayer scored 12, and Reggie Lynch finished with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocked shots.

Leron Black led Illinois (10-6, 0-3) with 14 points, all in the second half, while freshman Greg Eboigbodin, who entered the game with 9 total points in the season, scored 9 points on 4-5 shooting. The Illini shot a season-low 35 percent from the floor, including a 1-for-19 stretch to open the game.

Murphy, the Big Ten's scoring and rebounding leader, had 11 boards by halftime as he extended the nation's longest double-double streak to 16 games.

Minnesota scored the game's first 11 points as the Illini missed their first 11 shots. The Gophers run eventually stretched to 17-2, capped by two long Mason passes that led to dunks by Murphy and Coffey.

Mason returned after missing Minnesota's last game recovering from a sprained ankle he suffered on Dec. 23 against Florida Atlantic. He didn't miss a beat, shooting 6-for-13 from the field and hitting three 3-pointers on the night.

Mark Alstork hit a 3-pointer with 7:38 to go in the first half, the only 3-pointer the Illini made out of 13 first-half attempts. They finally concentrated on working the ball inside in the latter stages of the half and Greg Eboigbodin scored eight points to help cut the halftime deficit to 39-26.

Illinois played much of the first half without Black, who picked up his second foul just three minutes into the game. The junior forward, who averages a team-high 14.8 points per game, ended the first half scoreless on 0-for-4 shooting in just five minutes.

Minnesota led by 15 when the Illini went on a 13-2 run midway in the second half to climb back into the game. The key play was a steal and 3-pointer by Frazier off a sloppy Minnesota inbounds pass.

The Gophers appeared to get some breathing room when Mason corralled a McBrayer airball in the corner and drained a 3-pointer to make it 68-60. But the Gophers missed three of four free throws before Lynch hit a short jumper and Mason found Murphy for a dunk to put it away.

The Fighting Illini remain on the road with a trip to Michigan to face the Wolverines on Saturday (Noon ET/11 am CT on BTN).