Illini Capture Second Win Of Men's Basketball Season

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois picked up its second win of the season against an in-state opponent with a 90-58 victory over SIUE at State Farm Center on Friday night.

Five Illini scorers finished in double figures, while Kasparas Jakucionis recorded a double-double with 12 points and 13 assists, becoming the first freshman to register a double-double since 2021.

Jakucionis' 13 assists tied the program's freshman single-game record, and he came two rebounds shy of a triple-double. He also made one steal and went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.

Tomislav Ivisic reached double figures for the second straight game, tallying a team-high 18 points and corralling seven rebounds. Starting 4-for-4 from the field, Ivisic also dished out one assist and went 4-for-5 from the free-throw line.

Ben Humrichous knocked down four 3-pointers in the first half before equaling his career-best total with a fifth make from beyond the arc in the second half. Humrichous totaled all 15 of his points on those five triples, and he also registered two offensive rebounds and two assists.

Tre White registered a career-high three 3-pointers while finishing with 13 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. 

Will Riley continued his strong start to the season, totaling 14 points and seven rebounds, with four of those boards coming on the offensive glass.

Morez Johnson added five points; eight rebounds, including three offensive boards; and one block off the bench.

The Illini started the night with points on their first five trips down the floor. White knocked down two 3-pointers and Ivisic accounted for five points during that three-minute span. Buckets from Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Ben Humrichous soon followed, with Humrichous' triple closing out a 12-0 run from the Orange and Blue.

After the Cougars reduced their deficit to single digits less than one minute later, the Illini used a 6-2 scoring stretch to extend their lead up to 13 points, 21-8. Ivisic reached double figures during that span after starting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field.

SIUE continued to fight, cutting the Illini lead to 28-23, but Illinois responded with a long scoring run to close the half. An 18-7 stretch from the Orange and Blue across the final five-and-a-half minutes of play saw the hosts go into the break with a 46-28 edge.

Seven Illini players recorded at least one point prior to halftime, including 12 points from Humrichous and 11 from Ivisic. Humrichous connected from 3-point range on four occasions across the first 20 minutes of play, while Illinois was credited with an assist on 10 of its 14 first-half baskets.

The visiting Cougars began the second half with a 5-0 run, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Ivisic and White pushed the Illini's lead up to 52-33 within the first three minutes of the second half.

Holding SIUE to only one field goal over nine minutes of action, the Orange and Blue added to their advantage, going on a 22-8 run to bring their lead above the 20-point mark for the first time with five-and-a-half minutes remaining.

A Will Riley 4-point play saw the Illini's edge grow to a game-high 27 points with just over five minutes remaining, with that play also giving Jakucionis his 11th assist of the night.

The Orange and Blue closed the night on an 8-0 run, which sealed the Illini's 32-point victory over the Cougars.

Illinois (2-0) concludes its season-opening three-game homestand on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. CT against Oakland. The contest will air on Big Ten Network.