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TCR Game Recaps

IlliniGuys.com •

Illini Women Breeze Past Bellarmine for Second Straight Blowout Ahead of B1G play

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – With conference play just around the corner, the Illinois women’s basketball team won its fifth-straight game, blowing out Bellarmine 90-41.
It was the second straight blowout victory for Illinois (7-1) after beating Le Moyne 100-28 on Sunday. Battling a bad injury bug, Bellarmine (2-8) had a clear size and depth disadvantage in this game, playing just eight players throughout the course of the game. The Illini feasted with that advantag...
IlliniGuys.com •

Illinois Bounces Back with 84-64 win over Murray State on Field Trip Day

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After hitting the road and suffering its first loss of the season, the Illinois Fighting Illini women’s basketball team bounced back in a big way, downing Murray State 84-64 in the program’s annual Field Trip Day game.

The Illini (3-1) found most of their success inside the arc, going 23-for-41 on two-point attempts and converting on 16 of their 20 layups. Four players scored in...
IlliniGuys.com •

No. 9 Illinois shakes off slow start, shuts out Western Michigan 38-0

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – After shaking off a slow start on both sides of the ball, Luke Altmyer and
ninth-ranked Illinois toughed out a 38-0 win over Western Michigan on Saturday evening.
In front of a sold-out crowd at the newly renamed Gies Memorial Stadium, the Illini came out of
the gates slow, claiming an early lead thanks to a 28-yard field goal from David Olano.
Western Michigan’s dual quarterback approach with the accurate Broc Lowry and the shift...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois’ season ends in Round of 32 loss to Kentucky

Will Riley was among the emotional Illini walking off the Fiserv Forum court Sunday afternoon after a 84-75 loss to No. 3 Kentucky in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee. No. 6 Illinois falls short of reaching the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season and finishes head coach Brad Underwood’s eighth season in Champaign with 22 wins.“Just keep our heads up,” said junior guard Kylan Boswell on his message to the team after the game. “Today was tough. All we can do now is enjoy...
The Champaign Room •

Well-rounded Illinois shakes off Xavier in Round of 64 win

One week after a less-than-stellar showing in the Big Ten Tournament, No. 6 Illinois turned on the jets at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee and topped No. 11 Xavier late Friday night to advance to the Round of 32 for the second consecutive season. The Fighting Illini will have just over a day to get their legs under them for a date with No. 3 Kentucky on Sunday and an appearance in the Sweet 16 on the line.The evening started with an opening few minutes that may have made Illini fans at Fiserv Forum an...
The Champaign Room •

106-point outburst sends Illinois to Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals

It’s the fourth time this year that Illinois has hit the 100-point mark and first since a 109-77 win at Oregon in January. The Illini fell just short of the record for most points scored in a Big Ten Tournament. The record was 112 points, set by the Hawkeyes in 2022.The Illini drove the ball against the Hawkeyes, who all season long have been one of the shakier teams when defending inside the arc. Early drives from the likes of Kasparas Jakucionis got the Lithuanian started in the points column...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois comes back from the dead to topple No. 18 Purdue on Senior Night

It isn’t Illinois basketball if it doesn’t push you to the brink and then pull you back in, right? Midway through the second half, it seemed like the Illini were properly down and out. The Boilermaker advantage was ten, the largest advantage of the game by either team. It was then that the Illini went off for a 10-0 run out of seemingly nowhere to tie things up and then take the lead, a la Ben Humrichous from deep. 67-66 Illinois.It stayed tight the rest of the way through, with the dagger being...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois gives up 95 points, run over by No. 11 Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. — A matchup between two of the Big Ten’s highest-scoring offenses did not disappoint — at least for one half. Shorthanded with injuries and illnesses, Illinois showed flashes of brilliance scoring the ball but ultimately struggled to contain Wisconsin, falling 95-74 at Kohl Center on Tuesday night.The Fighting Illini (17-10, 9-8 Big Ten) entered Tuesday as the second-best rebounding team in the nation but were handily out-rebounded by the Badgers (21-5, 11-4 Big Ten). Following his...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois can’t close in another Big Ten loss, this time at Rutgers

In a game where Illinois started slow, played their best and then finished slow, the Illini fell 82-73 to Rutgers. The loss is Illinois’ worst in the NET rankings this season.If you tuned in midway through the second half, you might have trouble believing that Illinois was being steamrolled early to start this game.The game began slow for Illinois. Despite entering Wednesday as the nation’s best rebounding team in the nation, weakness in that area combined with shooting woes and a concerning lev...
247Sports •

Illini WBB suffers blowout loss to No. 22 Michigan State: ‘Just weren’t at our best today’

After notching back-to-back, potentially season-defining wins, Illinois women's basketball fell flat on Sunday, falling to No. 22 Michigan State 86-68.

In a defensive collapse, the Illini (13-5, 3-4 Big Ten) just didn't have any answers for the Spartans (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten).Michigan State's 86 points are the most that the Illini have allowed in any game since last season's loss at the Breslin Center when the Spartans went off for an 87-70 victory.

The Spartans were fast out of the gates, outsco...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois stumbles, falls flat at home against USC

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — So that’s what playing without KJ is like.
After cruising to a blowout victory earlier in the week without their star point guard, Illinois had a wide-scale collapse, falling to USC 82-72 on Saturday morning and ending a five-game winning streak.
The 13th-ranked Illini (12-4, 4-2 Big Ten) had no answers for the Trojans (10-6, 2-3 Big Ten) across all 94 feet of hardwood. The hosts led for just 4:37 in this game, leaving a sold-out State Farm Center crowd speechless. It’s the tea...
The Champaign Room •

Jakucionis-less No. 13 Illinois blows out Penn State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Boogeyman down.
After 1,043 days — and four games — without a win on the hardwood against Penn State, the Illini took down the Nittany Lions, and it was not close.
The well-oiled Illinois engine was firing on all cylinders on Wednesday night. With the Illini’s three-level attack on full display and the defense also keeping a high-scoring Penn State offense at bay, the Illini cruised to a 91-52 victory.
Illinois (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten) outdid Penn State (12-4, 2-3 Big Ten) in every...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois wins Citrus Bowl thriller, eclipses 10 wins for first time since 2001

ORLANDO, Fla. — Late in the fourth quarter of the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, South Carolina had the opportunity to retake a lead and on fourth-and-four from the Illinois seven-yard line. In the most critical moment for the defense, the Illini forced an incompletion in the endzone to hand the ball back to Luke Altmyer and the offense with 3:08 left on the clock.
Cue the music
On third and two on his own 15-yard line, running back Josh McCray took the handoff from Luke Altmyer and ran like his life d...
The Champaign Room •

Kylan Boswell records first career triple-double in blowout victory

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a blowout 117-64 victory over a winless Chicago State team on Sunday, Illinois guard Kylan Boswell recorded the first triple-double of his career and the seventh in program history.
“Unique,” is how Brad Underwood described the achievement. “It means you’re doing a lot of things really well. He plays much bigger than his size because of his strength. [He’s] a very good athlete.”
With 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, Boswell also set career-best numbers in rebounds and...
The Champaign Room •

Jakucionis, Illinois fall short against No. 1 Tennessee at the buzzer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — When the lights were brightest and the eyes of millions were on him in a nationally televised game against the No. 1 team in the nation, Kasparas Jakucionis let it be known that he’s the best player on the court at any given moment.
But despite the heroics from the Lithuanian, Illinois fell short at the buzzer, falling to the boys from Rocky Top 66-64.
Illinois (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten) was always within arms reach, at times an arm ahead, but fell after late-game heroics from Tenness...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois stumbles again in Evanston, loses to Northwestern in OT

EVANSTON, Ill. — Never an easy one at Welsh-Ryan Arena, huh? Despite moments of heroics from Kasparas Jakucionis, one man’s hot hand was not enough to stop the Wildcats from erasing a 10-point second-half deficit to claim a third straight home victory against the Illini.
With Northwestern riding yet another impressive performance from Glenview native Nick Martinelli, No. 19 Illinois fell to its in-state rivals 70-66 thanks to a defensive collapse down the stretch and running into a Wildcat-sized...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois tops Northwestern, secures first 9-win season since ‘07

CHICAGO — Baseball legend Yogi Berra once said about the game of baseball, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.” Saturday’s battle for the Land of Lincoln Trophy at Wrigley Field was a reminder of that.
A 38-28 result in the freezing cold gave Bret Bielema his first nine-win season at Illinois and the seventh in program history. The game was highlighted by the Illinois offense hitting quick and hard.
At the end of 60 minutes, Illinois had more points and way less of the ball. American football was...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois feasts on No. 19 Arkansas in Thanksgiving thrashing

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Are you thankful for Illinois basketball? Surely there’s space for Brad Underwood’s squad in your pre-dinner speech.
In Thursday’s Thanksgiving 90-77 win over No. 19 Arkansas (5-2), soon-to-be full Illini fans caught a glimpse of the pretty upper bound of Illinois basketball.
Underwood has been clear in emphasizing that he’s got an Illinois (6-1) team that can shoot thirty, forty or even fifty three-pointers a game with the understanding that even hitting a fourth or a third o...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois bounces back with blowout victory over Maryland Eastern Shore

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After that heart attack-inducing roller coaster of a football game, Illini fans deserved a more relaxing sporting event to spend the rest of their Saturday afternoon watching.
That came in the form of a 87-40 men’s basketball victory over Maryland Eastern Shore, who hail from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Hawks (2-6) made things tough on the Illini (4-1) offense, but couldn’t produce much themselves. It was a bounce-back victory for the team, after experiencing an of...
The Champaign Room •

Free throws doom Illinois’ comeback effort vs. No. 8 Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — You’re not going to win many big games shooting 54% from the free throw line. How many times have Illini fans heard that in the past few years?
Despite SEC preseason player of the year Mark Sears going scoreless for the first time in his Alabama career, No. 25 Illinois left a ton of points on the table and fell to the No. 8 Crimson Tide, 100-87, in Birmingham.
The Illini struggled defensively, giving up triple digits for the first time since the 2017-18 season in a 104-97 ove...
The Champaign Room •

Illinois veterans shine in Senior Day win over Michigan State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — On a day that looked to honor its seniors, Illinois Football’s oldest and most experienced players flourished, spearheading the way in a 38-16 Senior Day victory over Michigan State.
Illinois (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten) is now two wins away from being close to its first nine-win season since 2007, while the Spartans (4-6, 2-5 Big Ten) will fight for bowl eligibility to close out the year.
There wasn’t much sun out for Senior Day but early on, the Illinois offense heated up the field on...
The Champaign Room •

Illini brush off slow start, move to 2-0 against SIU Edwardsville

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — While they had some early hurdles to overcome in the process, Illinois moved to 2-0 for the sixth consecutive season, beating SIU Edwardsville 90-58.
Five Illini scored in double digits on Friday as they continued to showcase their new-look offensive approach.
The team’s “Live by the three, die by the three” mentality continued, as 38 of their 63 field goal attempts came from beyond the arc. They sank 15 of them, converting at a 39.5 percent clip.
Typically, three-level scorin...
The Champaign Room •

Illini brush off slow start, move to 2-0 against SIU Edwardsville

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — While they had some early hurdles to overcome in the process, Illinois moved to 2-0 for the sixth consecutive season, beating SIU Edwardsville 90-58.
Five Illini scored in double digits on Friday as they continued to showcase their new-look offensive approach.
The team’s “Live by the three, die by the three” mentality continued, as 38 of their 63 field goal attempts came from beyond the arc. They sank 15 of them, converting at a 39.5 percent clip.
Typically, three-level scorin...
The Champaign Room •

Riley’s second-half explosion sparks blowout in season opener vs. EIU

After shaking off some rust in the early moments, Illinois started off its 2024-25 season with a 112-67 victory over nearby neighbors Eastern Illinois.
What was a 15-point lead at halftime quickly snowballed into a larger one in the second half. Illinois outscored Eastern Illinois 62-32 in the final 20 minutes.
On Monday, 100 of the team’s 112 points were scored either from three, in the paint or from the free throw line.
Twenty-three of the team’s 50 first-half points were sc...
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