Kofi Cockburn Guides Illini To Win Over Notre Dame

The Illini shot 40.7% from deep against the Fighting Irish, with Alfonso Plummer and Jacob Grandison each hitting three treys. Plummer had his third consecutive night with 20+ points, scoring 21 points on Monday. He put the game away down the stretch, going 8-8 from the free throw line in the final minutes.

Head coach Brad Underwood expressed his pride for the Illini on Monday night as they battled for the win with multiple players out due to illness or injury. While Trent Frazier and Grandison were able to play, Underwood was prepared to go without some of his key scorers. 

"It's probably one of the five to ten best wins I've been a part of," Underwood said. "The trials and tribulations and and unknowns and all of that, and I'm not trying to make any excuse or anything, but Joey Biggs asked me before the game was starting, at the 45-minute mark, I said I don't know yet. And that's a really bad feeling as a ball coach. And so this group took a huge step tonight in being connected and being together. I had not seen Jacob Grandison since we got home from Kansas City. He has been in bed, I've not seen him till he walked in today for shoot around. Trent Frazier has not practiced, had no idea that he was going to play. Fletch does a deal with ForcePlates that he's got 1000s and 1000s of points of data that he jumps on and those tell you where your strength's at where your energy is at. Those numbers were good, so they determined he could play."

Neither Frazier nor Grandison started for Illinois, but ended up playing significant minutes. Frazier played all but eight minutes for the Illini and added a team-high six assists while scoring seven points. Underwood commended his perseverance and ability to lead his team through adversity. 

"Trent's a dog. I mean you talk about the ultimate competitor," Underwood said. "And he hates missing practice, he hates anything that he can't compete to win at. He literally walked in the coach's locker room and said, 'Coach, I'm good for 35 tonight if you need me.' And man, don't you love that as a coach, that makes your heart feel pretty good when you know you've got a guy like that ready to line it up and go, because that was his mindset."

Even without Frazier to start the game, both teams were hot from deep early, as they traded pairs of three-pointers to start the game. Illinois' first four shot attempts were all threes, with Da'Monte Williams, RJ Melendez and Luke Goode all sinking shots.

Notre Dame capitalized on five early turnovers by the Illini, to take a 12-9 lead nearly five minutes in. But, that would be the Fighting Irish's last time in front.

Frazier and Grandison checked in for the Illini, helping to settle the offense down and get Cockburn involved. The Illini big traded layups with Notre Dame, but threes by Melendez, Grandison and Frazier let Illinois keep its lead.

Notre Dame's Nate Laszewski's three-point shot kept Notre Dame close, but a deep ball from Plummer at the buzzer gave Illinois a 41-34 halftime lead.

The Illini offense came out of the break with the momentum and rocked State Farm Center with a Coleman Hawkins alley oop. Four quick points from Cockburn and a contested three from Plummer put Illinois on a 9-0 run.

Illinois then took its biggest lead of the night, 59-43, after three consecutive baskets, highlighted by a Cockburn slam.

Blake Wesley fired back with 10 points in the next three minutes to shrink Illinois' lead back down to 10.

The Illini's offense began to stall as Notre Dame's found its rhythm and the Fighting Irish went on a 9-2 run to get within five points. After surviving off a few free throws by Cockburn, Illinois' five-minute field goal drought was ended by a putback from Hawkins. While Wesley hit a couple more shots to try and come back, Cockburn and Plummer hit their free throws in the last few minutes to secure the win. 

"I mean, it wasn't perfect, that's for sure," Underwood said. "There was a couple scouting report mistakes in there, but you've got to take advantage of the opportunity, you've got to make free throws. We did that. I was concerned in the first half, because our free throw attempts were nil. And then to get to the line and make them down the stretch, that's what good teams have to do. We got the ball to the spots we wanted to get it to and who we wanted to get it to."

Illinois will be back in State Farm Center on Friday evening, hosting Rutgers for the first Big Ten matchup of the season.

POSTGAME NOTES

Illinois improves to 5-2 on the season following the victory over Notre Dame.

Illinois improves to 10-13 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and have won consecutive games in the challenge for the first time since claiming four in a row from 2009-12.

Illinois extended their winning streak at the State Farm Center to nine games.

Illinois has had six different starting lineups through seven games this season.

Illinois has held all seven opponents under 48% shooting from the field after Notre Dame went 28-for-61 (46%) tonight.

Illinois had two scorers (Cockburn, Plummer) over 20+ points for the third-straight game.

Illinois committed a season-low 12 turnovers as a team.

Kofi Cockburn recorded his third-straight 20+ point performance, the first of his career.

Kofi Cockburn is averaging 26.75 points per game since his return from suspension vs. Cincinnati, including a 41-for-58 (.707) mark from the field.

Trent Frazier returned to the court after missing the Illini's previous two contests, recording seven points a season-high six assists.

Jacob Grandison dished out a season-high four assists.

RJ Melendez earned his first career start vs. Notre Dame and tied career-highs in points (six) and field goals (two).