CHICAGO – Shaun Pruitt’s big day on the court didn’t go unnoticed in the 78-72 overtime loss to Arizona.

“We tried everything with Pruitt, we were just unsuccessful,” said Arizona’s interim head coach Kevin O’Neill. “Pruitt is a load down there, we don’t have that kind of size and bulk to contend with him.”

The senior center scored 24 points on 10-of-11 shooting and snagged nine rebounds in 36 minutes of playing time. Twice in his career he had scored 20 points in a game, his previous career high.

And, making the feat that much more impressive, he did it on a twisted ankle. Pruitt injured himself in practice last Sunday and his status for Saturday’s game was questionable.

“I got some good treatment during the week and practiced pretty good yesterday, so I just wanted to come out and see what I could do,” he said.

Bruce Weber was impressed by the unexpected display from the Aurora, Ill., native

“I didn’t expect that, to be honest, no. He struggled in practice,” Weber said. “He showed some courage and played like a senior.

“Down the stretch he’s a little tired and you have some breakdowns and things, but that showed to me a lot of courage, that he would fight through it and play with that ankle and have a pretty productive game for us,” Weber added.

The phantom timeout

With the game tied 61-61 as time expired in regulation, Arizona guard Nic Wise grabbed the ball with his back to the nearest referee and appeared to call for a timeout.

A timeout call would have meant a technical foul for the Wildcats and put an Illini shooter to the line; however, the officials did not make the call and time expired.

Trent Meacham knows what he saw.

“(I) saw him and heard him,” Meacham said. “We can’t look back on that, there were a bunch of other … things we could have done and the game would have been over. We were in control of the game.”

Bruce Weber agreed, and said he saw Wise call for a timeout. Kevin O’Neill wasn’t as sure.

“I didn’t see that. That would have been grounds for a murder,” O’Neill said with a laugh.

Where did the bench points go?

Just one week after scoring 53 points off the bench against Weber State, the Illini only mustered 10 reserve points against the Wildcats.

Four of Illinois’ starters scored double figures: Brian Randle, 11; Shaun Pruitt, 24; Trent Meacham, 16; and Calvin Brock, 11. Chester Frazier was scoreless in the game on 0-of-6 shooting in 36 minutes of playing time.

Freshmen Mike Davis and Demetri McCamey combined to play 35 minutes and scored only four points between them. Mike Tisdale added four as well.

“We didn’t push the ball like we could have,” Meacham said. “They picked it up and we were stagnant. That’s another thing we got to work on.”