A terrific week for Illinois Athletics got even better on Sunday, as No. 22 Illinois (11-3, 3-1) defeated Washington (10-5, 1-3), 81-77. The victory caps Illinois’ first West Coast road trip in the new Big Ten, which ended in two victories.
Picking up where it left off
After running No. 9 Oregon out of its own gym on Thursday, Illinois came out of the gates looking like its last contest never ended. Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis was a magician in the first half, scoring an early four points to get Illinois going. He was stout on defense and led multiple fast breaks on his way to 10 points and five assists in the first half.
Another Illini whose play carried over from Eugene was junior guard Tre White. The transfer continues to score, dropping nine points in the first half and showcasing his ability to get to the rim. White had multiple touch finishes over defenders, and his physicality transferred to the defensive end as well.
Needed adversity
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Unlike the Oregon game, Washington responded. A 15-4 run by the Huskies fueled a first-half comeback, narrowing the Illiniʼs 17-point lead to five with two minutes left. Senior guard DJ Davis was the catalyst for Washington, hitting four three-pointers in the first half.
After a few games with no real challenge, it was refreshing to see the Illini look human. Nine Illinois turnovers in the first half turned into plenty of points for Washington and provided some learning moments for the young roster.
The pressure from Washington did not end in the first half, as Illinois failed to create separation. Washington got the lead down to four with seven minutes left, which got the Seattle crowd active for the first time of the day. Davis was the leader again, with one of the best games of his career. The senior finished with career-highs in points and three-pointers.
Attacking Great
Illinois wasn’t perfect on Sunday, but it had a game plan for Washington’s best player and stuck to it. Senior forward Great Osobor led Washington in points, rebounds, assists and steals entering the matchup but struggled mightily in the first half.
Osobor had just one rebound in the opening 20 minutes and no points or assists. Illinois never doubled but sent both sophomore center Tomislav Ivisic and graduate student forward Ben Humrichous to defend. Osobor got stuffed a couple of times and never had an easy look.
The second half was kinder to Osobor, but he still didn’t get much going. The 6-foot-8 transfer finished with nine points, four rebounds and one assist. He did have a great defensive game, however, with four steals. Illinois struggled with his tremendously quick hands for a player of his size.
Final notes
Fouls played a big part in Sunday’s contest. Illinois seems to play faster every game, and its pace of play put a ton of pressure on the Washington defense.
Without allowing Washington to get set up, Illinois got favorable matchups and attacked relentlessly. As a result, the visitors entered the bonus with nine minutes left to play and went to the free-throw line 13 times in the second half.
Junior guard Kylan Boswell played a big role in the second half. After a scoreless first, the Champaign native found his stroke in the final minutes and finished with 14 points. His defense was good as always, but his two-man game with Jakucionis was the prettiest part of the day.
After three-point shooting won the game for the Illini on Thursday, it nearly lost them the game against the Huskies. They shot 2-14 from long range in the second half while the Huskies lit up the box score.
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