STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The final seconds were ticking off the clock inside the Bryce Jordan Center and the student section began its chant: “I hate Dee Brown.” What did the Illini’s lighting-quick guard do to incite such abuse?

He exploded at Penn State, again.

Last year, Brown’s hot shooting saved Illinois at State College and eventually led to a Big Ten Championship. This year a 19-point and 11-assist night propelled the Illini to an 83-63 win.

“He played so hard he had to take himself out twice,” said Illini head coach Bruce Weber. “He must really like this place.”

Early in the first half, Illinois looked like it might follow the same pattern that has haunted it of late. Against lower-ranked teams in the conference, Illinois had gotten out fast and then allowed opponents to get back into the games and use their earned confidence to make things tough on Illinois.

Wednesday the team stayed sharp on offense and didn’t allow Penn State to establish any offensive rhythm.

“We were able to get over the hump and get this thing done and break their spirit by halftime,” Weber said.

By halftime Illinois had built a 22-point lead, was shooting 66.7 percent from the field and had 19 assists.

“We got some inside touches early and then they packed it in and we were able to kick it back out and hit some three’s,” Weber said.

Penn State head coach Ed DeChellis compared watching Illinois to being at his first hockey game, saying that trying to adjust your eyes to the speed of the puck is like adjusting your eyes to chasing around the Illini for a night.

“It was the first time a team didn’t hold the ball while coming down the court,” Weber said. “They finally got to run and see some open space.”

At halftime Illinois had outscored Penn State 15-0 on the fast break. But in the half-court offense the Illini were also thriving, feeding Roger Powell Jr. and letting the previously slumping forward go to work. Powell Jr. finished with a game-high 21 points and went 10-for-10 from the field – most of his finishes coming from a guard passing up a good shot for the team to get a great one.

“That’s how basketball should look,” said Penn State guard Mike Walker. “Nobody on that team cares about how many points they score, everyone always says that there is no ‘I’ in team but with them they really symbolize that.”

Illinois has avoided talking about going undefeated, but with only four regular season games left, the pressure could be starting to mount. Weber argues that there was more pressure on his young Illini team last year just trying to win the conference. He said the Illini practice at Penn State was typically relaxed.

“If you came to practice and saw them practicing their half-court shots and shooting from the side in the suites you would think it looks more like the looney bin than warm-ups,” Weber said.