Illini Hold Off IUPUI, 85-77

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Malcolm Hill scored 23 of his 32 points in the second half to help Illinois hold off IUPUI 85-77 on Tuesday night.

Illinois (7-3) shot 55 percent from the field and 7 of 16 from 3-point range.

The Illini opened with a 10-0 run but committed eight turnovers, allowing IUPUI to rally to a 42-41 halftime lead.

Mike Thorne Jr. hit a jumper, Hill dunked and Illinois pulled ahead in the second half by shooting 60 percent from the field.

Leron Black scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds. He was a presence throughout the game, including a key rebound with 23 seconds left, despite battling foul trouble.

Matt O'Leary led IUPUI (3-6) with 25 points, shooting 7 of 15 from the field and 4 of 9 from beyond the arc. Darell Combs added 18 points.

BIG PICTURE

Illinois: The Illini have rebounded well after a week where they went 0-3. If Illinois can win out the rest of its nonconference schedule - Central Michigan, BYU and Missouri - the team will be in good shape heading into Big Ten play.

IUPUI: The Jaguars will try to salvage a difficult road trip. They face a few challenging games, including one against Northwestern, before returning to equal competition.

UP NEXT

Illinois will have the next few days off before entering the final stretch of its nonconference season when it plays Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon.

IUPUI finishes its six-game road trip against Miami (Ohio) on Saturday.