Illini Shoot The Lights Out, EIU, SIUE Fall

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Fighting Illini put up a historic offensive performance in a 120-71 win over Hampton Saturday at State Farm Center to improve to 5-1 on the season and 4-0 at home. 

Kofi Cockburn and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 20 points as five Illini reached double figures. 

Cockburn also grabbed 13 rebounds and is the only freshman in the country with five double-doubles through six games.

Alan Griffin and Andres Feliz each added 19 points for Illinois. Giorgi Bezhanishvili scored 14 points.

Jermaine Marrow led Hampton (3-2) with 22 points. Benjamin Stanley added 20 for the Pirates.

Illinois took the lead at the outset on two Cockburn free throws followed by his massive dunk after a Pirates turnover.

Illinois had no turnovers at the half and led 62-31. The Illini finished with nine turnovers to the Pirates 16.

Illinois' 120 points were its most since scoring 121 against Chicago State in December 1993. Illinois shot 45-of-70 from the field for 64%, its best shooting percentage since 2011.

Hampton was 28 of 64 (38%) from the field.

Up Next

Illinois hosts Lindenwood on Tuesday, Nov. 26, the fourth of a five-game homestand. The Illini play five of their next six games at the State Farm Center.

Team Notes

Illinois' 120 points and 45 field goals were its most in a game since Dec. 18, 1993, when it scored 121 and had 46 baskets vs. Chicago State.

Illinois' 64.3 field goal percentage (45-70) was its highest in a game since setting the school record with 70.5% accuracy on Jan. 6, 2011 vs. Northwestern.

Illinois' 29 assists were its most since March 11, 2000, when it recorded 30 vs. Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals.

Illinois' 49-point margin of victory was its largest since a 114-56 win (58-point margin) over Coppin State on Nov. 16, 2014.

Illinois reached the 100-point mark with 7:31 to play in the game. It was Illinois' first time reaching the century mark since Coach Underwood's first game leading the program, a 102-55 win over Southern on Nov. 12, 2017.

The Illini scored 62 points in the first half, their most in a half since scoring 67 in the first half of a 105-66 win over Georgia Tech in Las Vegas on Nov. 23, 2001.

Illinois 3.22 assist-to-turnover ratio was its best since racking up 28 assists compared to six turnovers (4.67 AST) on Nov. 15, 2016 against McKendree.
Illinois made a season-high 22 free throws, shooting a season-best 81.5 percent from the line.

Individual Notes

Sophomore Alan Griffin set a career high with 19 points and tied his career high with six rebounds.

Griffin surpassed his previous career best of 11 points in the first half alone, when he scored 17 of his 19.

Freshman Kofi Cockburn recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds. He is tied with DePaul's Paul Reed for the national lead in double-doubles on the season.

Cockburn becomes just the fifth Big Ten player with five double-doubles in his first six games of a season since 2010-11, joining Ethan Happ of Wisconsin (six in 2018-19), Jordan Murphy of Minnesota (twice; five in 2018-19 and six in 2017-18), and Caleb Swanigan of Purdue (five in 2016-17).

Cockburn also becomes just the fifth Division I freshman with double-doubles in five of his first six games since 2010-11, joining Deandre Ayton of Arizona and Brandon McCoy of UNLV in 2017-18, Ben Simmons of LSU in 2015-16, and Julius Randle of Kentucky (all six) in 2013-14.

Ayo Dosunmu had his ninth 20-point game of his career, and second of the season, finishing with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

Andres Feliz recorded double figures for the fourth time this season, netting 19 points. He also tied his season high with five assists.

Giorgi Bezhanishvili tied his career high with four assists.

Tyler Underwood recorded a career-high six points.

Jermaine Hamlin scored a career-high four points.

Zach Griffith scored his first career field goal.

Bethune-Cookman 66, EIU 63

SAN ANTONIO -- Bethune-Cookman used a crucial 5-0 run in the final four minutes of the game as the Wildcats beat Eastern Illinois, 66-63, in the second game of the Incarnate Word MTE Tournament.

EIU fell to 3-3.  Bethune-Cookman improved to 4-2.

Josiah Wallace gave the Panthers a 56-55 lead with 4:44 left in the game as he sank a pair of free throws.  Wallace was one of three EIU players in double figures in the game finishing with ten.

Cletrell Pope had a put-back basket for BCU on the next possession to put the Wildcats up 57-56 with 4:09 to play as BCU used a 5-0 run to go up 61-56 with 1:38 remaining.  Pope had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds to finish as one of five BCU players in double figures.

Deang Deang would bring EIU to within one point at 64-63 with 15 seconds left as he drained a 3-pointer.  Isaiah Bailey would sink a pair of free throws to ice the game for Bethune-Cookman.  Bailey had 12 points going 6-of-6 from the free throw line. 

Mack Smith led EIU with 13 points knocking down three 3-pointers.  Deang finished with 11 points.

Wali Parks and Houston Smith each had 14 points to lead Bethune-Cookman as the Wildcats shot 50 percent from the field.  BCU held a 38-27 rebound advantage.

Northern Illinois 68, SIUE 64

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE pushed Northern Illinois to the wire, but the Huskies prevailed 68-64 in a see-saw men's basketball game Saturday at the First Community Arena in the Vadalabene Center.

Eugene German of NIU proved to be a difference maker by scoring five points in the final 10.2 seconds as the Huskies won their fifth consecutive game. NIU improved to 5-2, while SIUE fell to 2-4.

"I saw some positive things and some things we have to improve," Barone said. "One thing we have to do is play better without fouling."

German, the top scorer with 23 points, converted a 4-point play with 10.2 seconds to give NIU a 64-63 lead. The 6-foot senior guard also sank a foul shot with 2.5 seconds remaining to round out the scoring. Teammate Lacey James added 10 points and nine rebounds. Darius Beane had 12 points.
"He really decided the game," Barone said of German. "Because he stepped up and really made a big shot near the end of the game.

"I thought we also made some big plays down the stretch, but at the end of the day, you have to make more big plays than your opponent does," Barone added.

Both teams had ample opportunities in the second half. The game was tied eight times and neither team had larger than a four-point advantage in the final 20 minutes.

The Cougars forged in front 63-61 on Tyresse Williford's layup with 24.1 seconds to play. Williford, who led SIUE in scoring with 18 points, had connected on a 3-point shot with 1:17 to go to knot things at 61-61. The 5-10 senior guard also registered eight assists.

"Ty made some big plays for us," Barone said.

Teammates Zeke Moore (15 points -- tying a career high --and six assists) and Mike Adewunmi (14 points and nine rebounds) also made vital contributions.

"Mike is a workhorse for us and Zeke had a lot of assists," Barone said. "I liked the way we moved the ball because we had 18 assists."
SIUE made 25 of 52 shots, including 4 of 15 from 3-point range. The Cougars hit on 10 of 13 free throws, but the Huskies outrebounded them 37-26. NIU is ranked ninth in the nation for rebounding.

"The test for us now is how we go in moving forward," Barone said, "and how we overcome a tough loss and handle adversity That's another variable. This was another step in the process, but it was frustrating because we want to win. We just need to be more consistent."

NIU held a precarious halftime 34-32 lead, even though the Huskies led by as many as nine points midway through the half. SIUE remained within striking distance of the Huskies even though the Cougars went more than five minutes without scoring and saw NIU go on a 13-0 spree. Nevertheless, the Cougars made 13 of 26 shots before the break.

The Cougars will do some California Cruisin' next. They play Tuesday at the University of Pacific at Stockton, Calif., in a 9 p.m. CST start and go to UC Riverside on Friday, Nov. 29, in a 4 p.m., CST, tip. SIUE doesn't return home until Wednesday, Dec. 4 when Chicago State comes calling at 7:30.