Illinois Bounces Maryland, 87-40

BY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 25 Illinois remained undefeated at State Farm Center this season with an 87-40 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon.

Four Fighting Illini scorers finished in double figures as the Orange and Blue improved to 4-1 on the year.

Will Riley led the Illini in scoring with a team-high 19 points, going 7-for-11 from the field after going scoreless in the first half. Riley also tallied three rebounds, one assist, and one block. 

Morez Johnson Jr. posted the first double-double of his collegiate career, finishing with career-high marks in both points and rebounds. Johnson's 10-point, 13-rebound performance also saw him total eight offensive boards and one block.

Kasparas Jakucionis filled the scoresheet with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

Kylan Boswell ended the afternoon with 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Tre White added six points, 11 rebounds, and one steal.

Having now scored in double figures in each of the first five games of his collegiate career, Tomislav Ivisic accumulated 11 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.

The Illini opened the game with a 6-0 run, holding the Hawks scoreless for over three minutes to start the game. UMES tied the game with 12:21 remaining in the first half, but Illinois did not let that last very long. A 17-0 run ensued over the next seven-and-a-half minutes, which featured points from five different scorers and saw the Orange and Blue take a 25-8 edge.

After the Hawks cut their deficit to 13 with two minutes left in the first half, the Illini closed the opening frame with a 7-0 run, which sent the home side into halftime with a 35-15 advantage.

Jakucionis led all scorers with nine points at the break, while Tre White grabbed a team-high eight rebounds through the opening 20 minutes.

A 13-2 run to open the second half extended the Illini's lead to 48-17 with 14:25 to play. The hosts' defense was a big factor in that stretch, which saw the Orange and Blue hold the Hawks without a field goal for over eight minutes between the first and second halves.

Just over two minutes later, the Illini strung together an 18-0 run to push their advantage up to 46 with just over eight minutes left to play.

The Illini's lead climbed as high as 52, and they closed out the win to move to 4-0 at home this season.

No. 25 Illinois (4-1) returns to State Farm Center on Monday to host Little Rock. The Fighting Illini and Trojans will square off at 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.