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TCR Game Recaps

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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
The Champaign Room •

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

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — 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...
The Champaign Room •

No. 19 Illinois falls flat in second half against Penn State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — After a tight, competitive chess match of a first half, No. 19 Illinois couldn’t stay happy in Happy Valley, losing 21-7 to No. 9 Penn State.
It seemed like Saturday wanted Illinois (4-1, 1-1 Big Ten) to win. Two missed field goals. A turnover on downs in the Illinois red zone. Illinois, at one point, was on the Penn State (4-0, 1-0) two-yard line with the game tied at seven apiece, but a bad snap and a couple of penalties set kicker David Olano up for a 45-yard try on a day...
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Passing game pushes Illinois to Homecoming victory over CMU

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Some things you don’t see too often? A September Homecoming, a pass-happy Illinois offense, and a 3-0 Fighting Illini football team.
Fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday got to catch a glimpse of all three of those, with a Homecoming matchup against Central Michigan playing host to a fantastic day through the air for Luke Altmyer, en route to a 30-9 victory.
It’s Illinois’ first 3-0 start since 2011 when Ron Zook’s team won six to open the season before dropping its next six....
The Champaign Room •

Passing game pushes Illinois to Homecoming victory over CMU

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Some things you don’t see too often? A September Homecoming, a pass-happy Illinois offense, and a 3-0 Fighting Illini football team.
Fans at Memorial Stadium on Saturday got to catch a glimpse of all three of those, with a Homecoming matchup against Central Michigan playing host to a fantastic day through the air for Luke Altmyer, en route to a 30-9 victory.
It’s Illinois’ first 3-0 start since 2011 when Ron Zook’s team won six to open the season before dropping its next six....
The Champaign Room •

Illinois made to rue missed chances, falls to No. 2 Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Under rainy conditions in Lexington, Illinois would slip and slide, falling 6-1 to No. 2 Kentucky in a dominant defensive outing for the Wildcats.
The Illini came out on top against Indiana State on Friday despite not being as clinical as they could have been. They left nine runners on base. The trend of struggling to convert hits into runs continued on Saturday. The Illini would leave eight on base, leaving runners in scoring position on numerous occasions.
Saturday’s game, ini...
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Crowder’s gem leads Illinois to first NCAA Tournament win since 2015

LEXINGTON, Ken. — The NCAA Tournament has been host to a number of high-scoring affairs thus far, with the average game having just over 11 runs. On Friday evening at Kentucky Proud Park, Illinois, the No. 3 seed in the regional, didn’t need anywhere near 11 to take down 2-seed Indiana State.
Solid pitching, impressive defense, and just enough offensive production saw the Illini cruise to a 4-1 victory to open up their journey to the College World Series.
The victory is Illinois’ first since 201...
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Illinois shut down, eliminated by Michigan in Big Ten Tournament

OMAHA — After winning a regular season title race that came down to the very last weekend of the season, the Illinois Fighting Illini finished conference play with a 1-2 record in the double-elimination Big Ten Tournament.

A legacy game for a Michigan catcher on the mound caused struggles for Illini batters, resulting in a 4-2 Michigan victory on Friday night.

The night before was another full of tornado sirens in Omaha. The fourth-seed Michigan Wolverines and top-seed Illinois Fighting Illini
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Illinois leads Big Ten entering regular season’s final weekend

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — With six games left in the regular season and a one-game lead on top of the Big Ten, Illinois had a simple job heading into its last home series of the year: Win.

Win out and you take the regular season title. Drop even one game and you’ll have a share of it. Drop two and you’re toying with your own destiny, with a quartet of teams just one game behind you in the standings.

Iowa, a team that needed a LOT to go right for them if they wanted any shot at the regular season title
The Champaign Room •

Offensive takeaways from Illinois’ 2024 spring game

On an offense that replaces seven starters, there were several questions surrounding how well Illinois could get the ball downfield this fall.

With 41 points combined by the offensive units, questions were asked and answered on Saturday as the Blue and White teams drew 0-0 in a game that had no official scoring.

Leary was under center for the second-team offense White team, while Luke Altmyer started the game for the first-team offense Blue team. On the first exchange of offensive drives, the
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Illinois wins inaugural WBIT, first postseason title in program history

INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time in program history, the Illinois women’s basketball team is crowned as champions.

Less than two years after taking over a program annually at the bottom of the Big Ten, Shauna Green and Illinois capped a sensational run in the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament with a 71-57 victory over Villanova on Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Illini would out-rebound Villanova (22-13, 11-7 Big East), and force the Wildcats to take
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