Despite falling to the Spartans just three days ago, the No. 14 Illini weren’t finished with the state of Michigan and routed the Wolverines in Champaign on Tuesday night with a 97-68 score. Now back on track, Illinois holds an 18-6 overall record and is now 9-4 in the Big Ten conference.
Head coach Brad Underwood sent out his favored starting five of fifth-year guard Terrence Shannon Jr., sophomore guard Ty Rodgers, graduate student forward Marcus Domask, graduate student forward Quincy Guerrier and senior forward Coleman Hawkins.
The Wolverines came down with the opening tipoff, but it was the Illini who got on the scoreboard first after Rodgers shot 2-2 from the free throw line.
Much to the home crowd’s enjoyment, Illinois got off to a hot start shooting the ball from three. Back-to-back triples from Hawkins and Domask gave the Illini a momentum boost, leading to a five-point cushion over the visitors shortly after.
The atmosphere inside the State Farm Center only continued to build as Illinois put together a 12-2 scoring run against the visitors. Efficient shooting and big blocks on defense kept the Illini ahead by as much as 11 points, though the Wolverines weren’t finished.
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Heading into the final seven minutes of the first half, Michigan managed to put together a scoring run of its own. The double-digit lead that Illinois held previously quickly fizzled into a three-point advantage as the perplexed home crowd waited for the tide to turn.
Shannon stepped up in the face of the drought, draining two consecutive triples to give the Illini some breathing room at 34-27 with 3:35 remaining. With the Chicago native heating up, the Illini enjoyed a dominant finale to the first half.
“It’s what he does,” Underwood said. “He’s six-foot-six-inches, 220 pounds, he’s as athletic as anybody in America. He’s a guy that has to want to be that guy. Terrence is going to score 20 most nights just by being out there, but that’s his impact on us.”
The final two minutes were electric for Illinois, and it all began with free McNuggets for the fans after Michigan’s Terrance Williams II missed two straight free throws. The arena continued to erupt as Shannon led the way for the Illini, nailing two more triples and a jumper to boost the team to a 16-2 run to close out the period. The guard’s late momentum saw Shannon leading the first half scoring with 19 points.
Heading into the break, Illinois led Michigan by a comfortable 47-29 lead.
The Illini picked right back up where they left off, opening the second half with yet another triple, this time courtesy of Hawkins. A three-point play by Shannon shot the Illini into a very early 6-0 run as the stunned Wolverines looked to regroup.
Illinois refused to take its foot off the gas and rolled the visitors throughout the remainder of the contest. Another big scoring night for Shannon saw the guard record a team-high 31 points against the Wolverines.
“Terrence did a great job,” Hawkins said. “Worrying over ball screens, getting stops and getting out in transition like he always does and hitting his shots. He’s a great catch and shoot guy, spacing the floor, handling the ball. I thought Terrence did a really great job tonight all around, doing a little bit of everything.”
Minutes were spread across the Illini roster to close out the final 10 minutes of play. With the game decided, Illinois kept cruising on the floor amid “I-L-L” chants from across the building.
By the end of regulation, Illini fans were able to enjoy a lively drive home from the arena after witnessing the team close out a 97-68 blowout victory.
Illinois will be back on the road for a trip to Maryland on Saturday. The game tips off at 4:30 p.m. CT.
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