EVANSTON, Ill. – Illinois got back on track Saturday, knocking out Northwestern 58-47 for the team’s first road win of the Big Ten season.

While Illinois (17-2, 3-2 Big Ten) built a substantial lead early in the game, the team failed to close the deal and allowed Northwestern (9-7, 2-4 Big Ten) to slip back into contention. But near the end, the Illini clamped down and held on for a victory.

“A win is a win,” said freshman guard Jamar Smith. “It was ugly, but I’m glad we stayed strong enough in the end to get the win.”

Staying strong had everything to do with more than one player coming ready to perform. Dee Brown produced 18 points and eight assists, but his contributions were complemented by Rich McBride’s 12 points and Shaun Pruitt’s 10 rebounds.

It was a triple-threat the Illini had long been in search of. Throughout the Big Ten season, Illinois has struggled to get more than one player rolling at a time and has faltered when its seniors had off games.

“Sometimes teams are locking in on (Dee), so he’s passing the ball,” Illinois head coach Bruce Weber said. “If other guys can score then, that will be the key to our team.”

Illinois’ bench stepped up on more than just scoring. Freshmen guards Chester Frazier and Smith showed improved defense, while junior McBride played with poise and quick-thinking on the court.

McBride hit 4-of-12 three-point attempts for a career-high shooting performance.

But as much as the underclassmen stepped up, the seniors still led on the court – for all 40 minutes. Lead scorer Brown and top defender James Augustine never hit the bench.

Augustine’s tough defense on Vedran Vukusic proved vital to keeping the Wildcats’ best shooter at just five points. Augustine had seven points and seven rebounds. Brown said the Illini focused on shutting down Vukusic and were happy to hand the task to their senior forward, who single-handedly took care of the task.

“He had some clean shots, he just wasn’t making them,” Brown said. “We’ve got to play as a team. A lot of guys have got to step up their roles.”

Northwestern’s top performances came from forward Mohamed Hachad, who had 14 points and four rebounds, and guard Sterling Willliams, who added 10 points and six rebounds.

While Weber was happy with Illinois’ defense and glad to see the team pull off the road win, he questioned how long it took them and how consistently solid they played.

“We’ve got to decide: are we going to be special,” Weber said, “or are we going to be just OK?”