The No. 23 Illini had their two-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday night after stumbling against the No. 4 Golden Eagles at home. While Illinois battled back and had the game within its grasp at numerous points, head coach Brad Underwood’s squad was unable to hold out and fell to a seven-point loss.
Turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers
Turning the ball over 15 times in 40 minutes isn’t the recipe for winning games, and while Tuesday night’s contest was well within the Illini’s reach, they simply gave it away. There were too many wasted possessions that saw the ball stripped away, thrown out of bounds or missed at the rim. When star players like Shannon and Hawkins turn it over five times each, that’s a serious cause for concern. Illinois had a serious chance to do something special against No. 4 Marquette, but a lack of focus on the floor late in the game fumbled what would have been a statement victory early in the year.
Illinois’ starting five players are indicated with *.
* Terrence Shannon Jr. (B)
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At the end of the day, Shannon did what he was expected to do, leading the team in scoring with 21 points on the night. However, when considering the fifth-year guard’s ability to score in the paint, it was an off night. There were a couple of cases of bizarre missed layups from the normally elite finisher, and Shannon’s aggressive slashing play led to five sloppy turnovers against the Golden Eagles.
On the bright side, Shannon improved vastly at the free-throw line, shooting a perfect 6-6, as well as putting up three big triples. The Chicago native also served as an important morale booster across the State Farm Center, recording an important block and throwing down a massive one-handed dunk in the first half that brought the crowd to their feet.
* Ty Rodgers (A-)
Once again, Rodgers was excellent on the defensive end while filling in gaps on the other side. He had two steals and a block as far as counting stats are concerned, but even on possessions that didn’t end in either, he was an absolute pest. Six points may not seem like a lot, but he was moving within the offense, and that was reflected in his efficiency. He also made a spectacular behind-the-back move and hand-changing layup in the second half to take a momentary lead.
* Marcus Domask (A)
After two average performances to start the season, Domask came up big against Marquette. The graduate student forward turned in his best display in an Illini uniform so far, providing buckets at crucial moments and speed in transition. Only Shannon scored more points, as Domask finished the night with 18 points on 6-13 shooting from the field and three triples. He also snagged six rebounds, tied for second-most on the team with Hawkins.
The Southern Illinois transfer looked sharp on a night that saw the team commit turnovers all over the place, and Domask helped provide a spark for the State Farm Center with an exciting transition bucket.
* Quincy Guerrier (C+)
There were two sides to Guerrier’s performance against Marquette. On one hand, he did not drop in any of his three attempts from the field en route to a zero-point evening, but on the other, he reeled in a team-high 10 rebounds. That effort on the glass was absolutely crucial throughout the entire game and was especially helpful in a game where the Illini gave up 10 offensive rebounds. Just a little bit more on the offensive end could have swung the entire result of the game.
* Coleman Hawkins (C)
It was a truly dreadful first half for Hawkins. He played 15 minutes, missed all three of his shots and had two assists to two turnovers. However, the real issue lay in the how, as each shot seemed ill-advised and made the miss seem that much more negative. He was able to turn it around in the second half, actually making a pair of baskets and a crucial assist. It was the defense that was truly exemplary though, making three extremely timely blocks that effectively kept Illinois in the game until the final minutes. Ultimately, his 2-9 showing from the field and five turnovers cannot be overstated but neither can the defensive effort.
Luke Goode (A+)
Not much more could have been asked of Goode’s performance against Marquette. He came off of the bench and immediately hit a three to cut into a developing lead for the visitors. By the time the final buzzer rang, he had made four of seven shots from deep for a career-high 13 points. The rest of Illinois combined for 7-26 (26.9%) so that boost was an absolute necessity. On top of that, Goode had a strong showing on the defensive end and reeled in four rebounds.
Justin Harmon (C-)
Harmon didn’t have much of an impact in 16 minutes on the court. Scoring one point off the bench and snagging four rebounds, Harmon’s contributions were limited to primarily off-the-ball moves.
Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (N/A)
After being a spark plug in the season opener, Gibbs-Lawhorn saw limited action against Marquette. It’s easy to wish that Gibbs-Lawhorn could be an 18-points-per-game type of player, but this performance was probably closer to what can be expected for the time being. He played just seven minutes and missed all three of his shots.
Amani Hansberry (N/A)
Hansberry received six minutes on the floor, shooting 0-2 from the field and grabbing a single rebound.
Dain Dainja (N/A)
Dainja only saw four minutes of action tonight, turning the ball over once and recording a block.
Niccolo Moretti (DNP)
Did not make an appearance against Marquette.
