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 point guard Kasparas Jakucionis stacked up 12 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds as Illinois pulled away for a 90-58 nonconference victory over SIU Edwardsville on Friday night in Champaign, Ill.
Jakucionis, the 18-year-old Lithuanian projected as a potential NBA Draft lottery pick, needed just three field-goal attempts to pace five Fighting Illini players in double figures. He hit 9 of 10 free throws.
Tomislav Ivisic notched 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 posted 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 jump to a 17-4 lead. White drilled consecutive 3-pointers while the 7-foot-1 Ivisic matched those six points on the receiving end of pick-and-rolls with Jakucionis. When Ivisic canned a 3-pointer and followed with a driving layup at the 11:15 mark of the first half, he had 11 points and Illinois led 23-10.
SIU Edwardsville rallied to within 28-23 at the 5:30 mark when Myles Thompson canned a 3-pointer and a layup — both assisted by Declan Dillon.
Humrichous answered with the third of his four first-half 3-pointers. He also set up Riley for a 3-pointer, and Jakucionis converted four straight free throws as Illinois’ 10-1 run pushed the lead to 38-24 with 3:06 left in the half.
Illinois was ahead 46-28 at the break — Jakucionis delivering seven points, six rebounds and five assists with just one field-goal attempt — but SIU Edwardsville made a run early in the second half.
Brian Taylor II buried a 3-pointer in transition, Jo Valrie drove coast-to-coast for a layup and then outfought a taller Illini player to earn a tip-in with 15:08 to go to pull the Cougars within 52-40.
Illinois responded with Ivisic’s dunk off Jakucionis’ no-look pass, Carey Booth’s acrobatic driving layup and Riley’s 3-pointer to restore a 59-41 advantage.
–Field Level Media
