No. 13 Illinois (6-1) closed out its pair of home games on Monday night with a second win, taking down University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2-4) 87-73. Although it was a 14-point victory for the Illini, the Vaqueros put up a physical fight that challenged the home team. In the end, Illinois’ depth and versatility allowed them to overcome a strong outing from UTRGV.
“Tonight we escaped,” said Illini head coach Brad Underwood. “The thing I’m most disappointed in is scouting report mistakes.”
Vaqueros burst onto scene with energy
UTRGV came out with an energy that kept Illinois on its toes to start the game. The Vaqueros were much more aggressive early on, and it showed on the scoreboard. They led by as much as four within the first 10 minutes, and the lead went back and forth seven times in that same period.
“We were really flat,” Underwood said. “Just their little dribble handoffs to start the game. We worked on them all day yesterday, and we’re fine. And as soon as the game started today, we were three steps behind. First play of the game. I mean, they got wraparound layups.”
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In those first 10 minutes, UTRGV forced four Illinois turnovers, had two steals and grabbed five offensive boards to Illinois’ three. The Vaqueros stayed alongside the Illini and gave them a run for their money.
“I thought they played harder than we did tonight, with a little more focus,” Underwood said.
Despite UTRGV eventually falling to Illinois, their physical pressure overall throughout the game was impressive. The Vaqueros had seven steals to the Illini’s one and scored eight points off their 11 turnovers, while they only lost the ball four times.
Momentum shift
Something lit a fire under the Illini midway through the first half. A 10-0 run created a lead for Illinois that was challenged and chipped away at by UTRGV, but it was never lost. Since the Vaqueros took their four-point lead with ten minutes, forty seconds remaining in the opening half, the Illini ran up the scoreboard, finishing the half by outscoring their opponents 28-13.
Illinois’ 11-point lead at halftime was challenged, but it was never given up. That run to end the first half was crucial since the second half was extremely tight. UTRGV played Illinois closely and was only outscored by three in the closing 20 minutes. The hole that the Vaqueros found themselves in at halftime was ultimately their downfall.
The 14-point margin by which the visitors lost does not adequately display how tough UTRGV was for an Illinois team that is supposed to be one of the best in the nation.
Winning without threes
Plain and simple, Illinois did not shoot the ball well from deep, but UTRGV did. The Vaqueros, just like the Illini, are one of the top teams in the country at getting up attempts from beyond the arc, and on Monday, they converted.
UTRGV knocked down 11-26 of their triples, while Illinois only made 8-30. Despite that, Illinois stayed ahead offensively in another way: by racking up points in the paint. Besides free throws and 3-pointers, every other bucket for the Illini came in the lane. Their 44 points in the paint outmatched the Vaqueros’ 32, giving them a lifeline when the shots were not falling.
“Still didn’t shoot the ball very well and close to 90 (points), and yet I thought we were just okay,” Underwood said.
Also, UTRGV had the same issue Illinois had against Alabama (3-2) on Wednesday last week; it could not make free throws. The Vaqueros shot just 50%, going 8-16 from the foul line. If they had tightened up that part of their game, the score would have more truly reflected how tough the game looked outside of the box score.
International Illini lead offensive output
Illinois’ international contingent showed out in full force Monday night. Each of the five Europeans scored in double figures, the only Illini to do so.
As per usual, junior wing Andrej Stojaković was the star of the show, scoring 24 points on another efficient shooting night (11-17). Around the rim, he was spectacular, going 10-12 on two-pointers. However, he only made one of his five threes, which is an area for improvement, but it was still a very strong offensive night for the star transfer.
Sophomore guard Mihailo Petrović had his breakout game in only his third contest of the year, putting the college basketball world on notice with his performance. In just 16 minutes off the bench, Petrović had 12 points on 4-5 shooting and 4 assists. He showed off his speed in the open court and an ability to make quick, smart passes.
“(Petrović brings) speed, craftiness, IQ in the pick and roll,” Stojaković said. “It allows us to switch up the way we play offensively when he comes into the game. He’s so versatile when the ball is in his hands, and he sees everybody, so that helps us a lot.”
Petrović’s ball screen chemistry with junior center Zvonimir Ivišić was also on display. Once, he used a Zvonimir Ivišić screen to knock down a three, and another time Petrović found the 7-foot-2 Ivišić on a pick-and-pop for a triple.
“(Petrović) looks for the pass first,” Ivišić said. “I feel like me and him got a great connection.”
Although he did not have his most productive rebounding game of the year, freshman forward David Mirković had 10 points on 3-4 shooting and five assists. Four of those came in the first half, where Mirković made multiple great reads and found cutters for easy baskets.
Zvonimir Ivišić and his twin brother Tomislav Ivišić added 10 points each as well, including both hitting two triples.
What’s next
Illinois will head to New York City on Black Friday for what is easily the most highly anticipated matchup of the year: a battle at Madison Square Garden with No. 5 UConn (5-1). The Huskies are the most talented team the Illini have faced yet, so this will be a test they will need to be dialed in for. After a program-record 43-point loss at Madison Square Garden to Duke last season and getting demolished in the Elite Eight by a 30-0 UConn run in 2024, this game is sure to be at the top of Underwood’s win wish list.
“We got to come out extremely energetic,” Stojaković said. “(Zvonimir Ivišić)’s played at MSG. I’ve never been to New York, so I’m very excited. And we got to come out with the energy like we need it. And we’re very excited from a team perspective. Who wouldn’t want to play against UConn in arguably the best arena in America?”
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