Fighting Illini Beat Penn State, 98-81

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The No. 18 Fighting Illini defeated Penn State, 98-81, Wednesday night in State College behind 30 points from junior Ayo Dosunmu. 

Sophomore Kofi Cockburn tallied 23 points and freshman Andre Curbelo added 15 points and 8 assists for the Illini (6-3, 2-1 Big Ten). Redshirt junior Jacob Grandison led the team with seven rebounds. 

COCKBURN'S PERFECT HALF

Illinois was down 19-4 early until Kofi Cockburn took over - scoring 16 first-half points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting. The Illini erased an early 15-point deficit and went to the break tied at 43.

ALL-AMERICAN PERFORMANCE

After scoring just nine points in the first half, All-American candidate Ayo Dosunmu took over in the second half with 21 points. Dosunmu has scored 30-plus points in two of the past four games for the Illini. 

UP NEXT

The Illini are back at the State Farm Center on Saturday, Dec. 26 to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 pm CT and will be broadcast on FS1 and the Busey Bank Illini Sports Network.

POSTGAME NOTES

Illinois' 98 points were its most in a regulation Big Ten game since a 99-57 win against Northwestern 3/8/1995. 

Illinois' 98 points were its most on the road in a regulation Big Ten game since a 103-87 win at Indiana 3/13/1971. 

Illinois' 98 points were its most in a road game since beating Rutgers 110-101 (3 OT) 2/3/2016. 

Ayo Dosunmu had 30 points, six rebounds, and five assists to bump his season averages to 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists. Dating back to 1992-93, only three players have posted 20-6-5 for an entire year: Memphis' Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway in 1993, Morehead State's Ricky Minard in 2004, and Ohio State's Evan Turner in 2010.

Ayo Dosunmu is the 9th player this season to post a 30-6-5 game and only the second major conference player to do so. Oklahoma's Austin Reaves had 32 points, six rebounds, and nine assists at TCU 12/6/20. 

Ayo Dosunmu is the first player to post 30-6-5 in a Big Ten road game since Malcolm Hill had 32-14-5 at Rutgers 2/3/2016. He is the first player to do it in a regulation game since D'Angelo Russell (Ohio State) posting 33-7-6 at Northwestern 1/22/2015.

Kofi Cockburn had 23 points on 11-of-13 shooting (84.6%). He is one of only three players in the nation to have multiple games with 80% shooting on 10+ field goals made:

Kofi Cockburn (Illinois vs. Minnesota, at Penn State) 

Luka Garza (Iowa vs. Southern, Iowa State)

Zach Freemantle (Xavier vs. Oklahoma, Eastern Kentucky)