Illinois has finally gotten off to a good start in the Big Ten. For the first time since 2010, Illinois won its conference opener on the road (losing seven straight), defeating Rutgers 76-58 for a convincing start to three tough road tests over the next eight days.
Illini Star Guard Terrence Shannon Jr. Dominated with a game-high 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting (4-for-7 from three), a game-high 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Marcus Domask added 15 points and seven rebounds for Illinois (6-1, 1-0 Big Ten), while Luke Goode added nine points off the bench and made 2 of 5 from three.
No Rutgers player scored in double figures as Illinois held the Scarlet Knights (5-2, 0-1 Big Ten) to 33.3% shooting, including 29.7% from two goals. The Illini dominated the rebounding battle 55-27 and outscored Rutgers 40-26 in the game, and Illinois shot 9-21 (42.9% from three).
The larger Illini dominated the game physically from the start, taking a 14-2 lead while holding Rutgers without a field goal for the first 6:30 minutes and dominating the game. Illinois then extended its lead to 24-8 after hitting back-to-back 3-pointers Luke Goode And Justin Harmon and then had a 30-15 lead eight minutes before halftime. But Rutgers has big men from Illinois Coleman Hawkins And Dain Dainja committed two early fouls and forced Illinois into 10 turnovers in the first half, sparking an 11-0 run that cut the Illini’s lead to 34-41. But Shannon made an and-one and a 3-pointer in the final three minutes to give Illinois a 41-36 lead at halftime.
But once Hawkins was back on the court, Illinois dominated defensively from the start of the second half, going on a 26-10 run to start the half, sparked by eight points from Domask and back-to-back three-pointers by Shannon finished with a 67-44 lead. Illinois then rallied for the win in the final six minutes.
The Illini were only 15 seconds behind.
What it means: What an encouraging start to a tough series of road games in December for Illinois. The Illini were assertive and in control from the start, withstanding a Rutgers run at the end of the first half before completely dominating the first 12 minutes of the second half. Illinois’ defense was physically formidable and stifling, and the Illini’s offense – when it beat the press – did a great job of breaking down the Rutgers defense and hitting open 3-pointers in rhythm. The Illini were also simply the tougher team, which has rarely been the case in the Illini’s recent trips to Piscataway. Great first road kill of the season for a team that looked like a real Big Ten contender.
Star of the game: Terrence Shannon Jr. looked like a complete All-American. He scored an incredibly efficient 21 points on 8-for-13 shooting. He continues to be fireworks from distance and was unstoppable in transition. His passer play has also reached new levels as he continues to find teammates open for threes in the corner. He was also great defensively, helping Noah Fernandes and Derek Simpson combine for 10 points on 2-for-11 shooting. He had two blocks and eight of his nine rebounds on defense. Zooming out, Shannon simply called the shots and was a killer, something the Illini will need consistently from their best player and best guard in the Big Ten.
Statistics of the game
- Illinois won the rebounding battle 55-27.
- Illinois won the points 40-26.
- Ruttgers shot 12 of 28 at the rim and 29.7% from two.
- Illinois shot 9 of 21 (42.9% from three).
- Rutgers scored 18 points on 17 turnovers at Illinois.
- Rutgers shot 12 for 20 from the free throw line while Illinois shot 7 for 11 from the free throw line.
- Rutgers had nine blocks while Illinois had three blocks.
Do not overlook: Coleman Hawkins made a big impression in his return to the pitch after missing three straight games with a knee injury. Although he was limited to just seven minutes in the first half due to foul trouble and only had six points on 3-for-9 shooting, Hawkins was great defensively, helping pick up All-Big Ten center Cliff Omoruyi 7 points on 3-for-9 to limit -10 shooting.
Marcus Domask was confident and effective as a secondary scorer, using his size advantage over Rutgers’ smaller guards to get to the rim and finish. Domask struggled against lower-level opponents, but he showed up against the Illini’s quality opponents, scoring in double figures in a matchup against Kansas (11 points), a loss against Marquette (18 points) and now against Rutgers (15 points).
What’s next: Illinois remains on the East Coast as it prepares for a Top 25 matchup against No. 13 Florida Atlantic (5-1), Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. CT in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City takes place. The Owls, who went 35-4 last season and made it to the Final Four, suffered an early setback against Bryant (61-52 loss) but have since lost four straight games against top-65 KenPom teams won. FAU, which returned all but one of its rotation players from last season, has the No. 10 offensive efficiency in the country – hitting 39.2% of its 3-pointers – and No. 32 defensive efficiency.