Nov 8, 2024; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) shoots the ball over SIU Edwardsville Cougars forward Jo Valrie (33) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis had 12 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds as Illinois pulled away for a 90-58 non-conference victory over SIU Edwardsville on Friday night in Champaign, Illinois.
Jakucionis, the 18-year-old Lithuanian who projects as a potential NBA Draft lottery pick, needed just three field goal attempts to pace five Fighting Illini players in double figures. He made 9 of 10 free throws.
Tomislav Ivisic had 18 points and seven rebounds, Ben Humrichous hit five 3-pointers for 15 points, Will Riley contributed 14 points and seven rebounds and Tre White added 13 points.
Ray’Sean Taylor had 14 points and four assists to pace SIU Edwardsville (1-2), which lost on the road to a highly touted Big Ten opponent for the second time in three nights. Brian Taylor II added 10 points as the Cougars shot just 30.1 percent from the field and 25 percent (6 of 24) on 3-pointers.
The Illini (2-0) scored on their first five possessions to take a 17-4 lead. White scored consecutive 3-pointers while the 7-foot-10 Ivisic matched those six points on the receiving end of pick-and-rolls with Jakucionis. When Ivisic hit a 3-pointer and then made a layup at the 11:15 mark of the first half, he scored 11 points and Illinois led 23-10.
SIU Edwardsville pulled within 28-23 at the 5:30 mark when Myles Thompson hit a 3-pointer and a layup, both assisted by Declan Dillon.
Humrichous responded with the third of his four first-half 3-pointers. He also set up Riley for a 3-pointer and Jakucionis made four consecutive free throws as Illinois’ 10-1 run extended the lead to 38-24 with 3:06 left in the first half.
Illinois led 46-28 at halftime (Jakucionis had seven points, six rebounds and five assists with just one field goal attempt), but SIU Edwardsville went on a run early in the second half.
Brian Taylor II hit a 3-pointer in transition, Jo Valrie went coast-to-coast for a layup and then beat a taller Illini player to earn a basket with 15:08 left and pull the Cougars within 52-5. 40.
Illinois responded with an Ivisic dunk off a no-look pass from Jakucionis, an acrobatic layup from Carey Booth and a 3-pointer from Riley to reestablish a 59-41 lead.
–Field level media
