Illini Cruise To Victory Over EIU In Men's Basketball Season Opener

(From U of I Basketball Page)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois cruised to a 112-67 win in its season opener against Eastern Illinois at State Farm Center on Monday night.

Five different Fighting Illini scorers finished in double figures, including a team-leading 31-point performance from freshman Will Riley.

Scoring the most points by a freshman in an Illini debut, Riley went 10-for-13 from the field, including a stretch of seven consecutive makes in the second half, while going 5-for-6 from 3-point range. 

By halftime, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn had equaled his career-high point total, and went on to tally a career-high 21 points. Accounting for the Illini's final 10 points of the first half, Gibbs-Lawhorn hit a career-best four 3-pointers in addition to going 7-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Tomislav Ivisic registered a double-double in his collegiate debut, tallying 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Ben Humrichous finished with 14 points in his debut with the Orange and Blue, going 5-for-8 from the field while adding two 3-pointers, five rebounds, and one block.

Kasparas Jakucionis totaled 11 points, a team-high seven assists, and five rebounds.

Morez Johnson Jr. tied the freshman record for blocks in a single game, amassing six in his collegiate debut while also hauling in eight rebounds.

Ten Illini recorded at least two points, while the Illini improved to 8-0 in season openers under head coach Brad Underwood.

After a back-and-forth opening few minutes, the Illini started to establish themselves following a 5-0 run from Will Riley. His scoring stretch began a 13-4 Illinois run, which gave the home side a 23-15 advantage at the halfway point in the opening period of play.

Jakucionis then accounted for the Orange and Blue's next six points before the hosts used a 13-2 stretch to take a double-digit lead. Gibbs-Lawhorn registered six points during that run, while Ivisic's and-1 layup capped off the strong stretch of play for the Fighting Illini.

Gibbs-Lawhorn continued his hot start by scoring Illinois' final 10 points of the first half. His back-to-back triples gave the Illini a 16-point edge, their largest of the opening periord, before the Illini went into the break with a 50-35 lead.

Illinois thrived at the free-throw line in the first half, going 23-for-27 from the charity stripe. The Illini also dominated the glass across the opening period, posting a 30-12 rebounding edge.

The Orange and Blue added to their advantage early in the second half, with six different scorers helping Illinois go on a 16-3 run within the first five minutes of the final period.

The Illini's lead continued to grow throughout the second half, with the hosts going on a run of seven out of eight makes from the field to take an 81-48 edge with 11 minutes remaining. 

With Illinois ahead by 32 with seven minutes to go, Riley tallied the Illini's next 12 points while making seven consecutive shots from the field. His 24th point of the night saw the Illini reach the 100-point mark, and he eventually surpassed the 30-point mark with a jumper with three minutes left in the game. 

The Orange and Blue held the Panthers without a field goal for over three minutes to close the game, clinching the 45-point victory.

The Fighting Illini (1-0) return to action on Friday for another in-state clash at State Farm Center vs. SIUE. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. CT on Peacock.