Quick thoughts on a 71-51 loss at Illinois:
How it happened
Indiana played well in the first 20 minutes at the State Farm Center. The Hoosiers made four 3-pointers, turned the ball over just twice and Lamar Wilkerson had 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting. At 1.1 points per possession, it was a strong offensive performance for Indiana.
But Illinois, the best offensive team in the country, was on another level. The Fighting Illini grabbed seven offensive rebounds, scored 20 points in the paint, made five 3-pointers and got 15 points from freshman David Mirkovic and 11 from Keaton Wagler. It was enough for Illinois to claim a 38-31 lead at halftime with 1.35 points per possession.
Indiana started the second half ice cold offensively and Illinois took advantage. At the under-12 timeout, the Hoosiers were just 2-for-10 from the field, including 0-for-6 on 3s, and the Fighting Illini opened a 54-38 lead. Tomislav Ivisic was key in the first eight minutes for Illinois, scoring seven points and grabbing six rebounds.
The Fighting Illini maintained control during the under-eight media timeout with a commanding 58-43 lead as IU’s shooting woes continued. At that point, the Hoosiers had just 12 points in the second half and seven came from Wilkerson.
At the final media timeout, Illinois had its largest lead of the afternoon at 66-48. The offensive glass was crucial for the Fighting Illini and added some cushion to their lead. At the 3:14 mark, Illinois had scored 13 second-chance points after seven offensive rebounds in the second half. The Hoosiers managed just three points in the final 6:04 as Illinois cruised to a 20-point win.
Standout artist
Wilkerson led Indiana with 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting in 39 minutes. He went 2-for-7 on 3s and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line and also had three rebounds and one assist.
Statistics that stand out
Illinois outscored Indiana 40-24 in the paint, held the Hoosiers to a season-low 51 points, won the turnover battle 14-2 and the second-chance points battle 17-5.
Next step for IU
The Hoosiers have four days off before traveling to West Lafayette to take on Purdue on Friday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 8pm ET on FOX.
Final individual IU stats
Latest pace free stats
Assembly Call after the game show
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
See more: Commentary, Illinois battles Illini
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