It wasn’t as pretty and it wasn’t as easy as it would have been last season, but Illinois continued its home-winning streak Thursday night, topping Illinois Wesleyan 82-60 in the season’s first exhibition game.

“We’ve got a lot of things to work on,” senior guard Dee Brown said. “It wasn’t a good showing, but it was a decent showing for us, being such a young team.”

Illinois stumbled through the first half, as players worked out excessive energy and settled into the game. In the first 20 minutes, the Illini never lead the Division-III Titans by more than eight points. The first of those maximum leads came thanks to freshman guard Jamar Smith, who tossed up a jumper and a layup, then hit a free throw after being fouled by Illinois Wesleyan’s Jason Fisher. The Titans hit back-to-back buckets to close in on Illinois’ lead, but Illinois would bring the margin back up after James Augustine swished two free throws and a layup with five minutes to go.

“They spread us out early, used their dribble. We were over aggressive, too hyped, got in a little bit of foul trouble,” Weber said.

The Titans momentarily tied the score five minutes into the second half, but Brown responded with a tight jumper. Illinois pulled ahead with 11 minutes to play, eventually building a 24-point lead.

“I thought we ran out of gas,” said Illinois Wesleyan coach Scott Trost.

While this season’s Illini return only two starters from 2004-05, those two proved their value in the exhibition. Augustine had 15 points and 3 rebounds for Illinois, while Dee Brown added 8 points and 7 assists.

But it was Smith who led the scoring by not only the Illini newcomers, but the entire team, contributing 16 points, including three 3-pointers.

“A lot of people were setting good screens, giving me a lot of open shots, so I just hit the open shots,” Smith said.

Weber said the freshman’s consistent shooting and ability to draw energy from the crowd continue to impress him. Trost said he expects Smith to turn into a key asset for Illinois.

“I think he gives you a lot because he can break you down off the bounce, and he can create his own shot,” Trost said. “I don’t know how (Weber’s) going to keep him out of the lineup. He’s a very effective player.”

Illinois next faces Quincy on Nov. 9. It will be the last exhibition before the regular season begins against South Dakota State on Nov. 18.

Weber said that while he was happy with the result of the exhibition game, it was clear the team has had only a handful of practices. He said as players absorb the information coaches keep throwing at them and settle into their roles and, in many cases, the pace of college basketball, the team should become more consistent.

“I feel like Illinois Wesleyan came out and did a lot of things that we weren’t used to,” Brown said. “Once we watch film and get some more game experience under out belts, we’re going to get better with each game.”