Illinois could have rolled over and quit. 

Down 30-22 in the first half, John Groce’s short-handed Illini looked like they might go quietly against Purdue on Wednesday night at State Farm Center. 

But they didn’t. The Illini lived up to their “fighting” moniker against the Boilers, as they broke off a 10-0 run before halftime to grab a 32-30 lead, capped off by a Malcolm Hill three. 

The second half was back-and-forth until the final two minutes, when Illinois finally pulled away. The victory was sealed when senior center Nnanna Egwu finished off a thunderous fast-break slam with 18 seconds left. Two more Jaylon Tate free throws gave Illinois (13-7, 3-4 Big Ten) a 66-57 win. 

Purdue (11-8, 3-3) has given Illinois fits in recent years, and the Boilers played tough at State Farm Center once again. But they wilted down the stretch, missing open 3-pointers (5-for-21 on the night) and four free throws in a row late in the game. Purdue failed to capitalize off its superior size, as 7-footers A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas combined for just 10 points and nine rebounds. Illinois out-rebounded Purdue 43-35 on the night. 

This Illini win was impressive due to their limited personnel. With leading scorer Rayvonte Rice missing his fifth game in a row with a broken hand, it was revealed before the game that starting guard Aaron Cosby would be sidelined up to two weeks with a retina tear he sustained against Indiana.

But Groce’s “next man up” mantra was upheld, as the injuries gave other Illini players a bigger window to contribute. On Wednesday, it was Leron Black who put the team on his back. The freshman finished with 15 points and 13 boards, and hit a baseline jumper to put his team up seven with 42 seconds to play. 

“I thought Leron Black was the best player on the floor,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. “I don’t think it was even close.”

Black was a monster in his first career start, letting out roars as he snatched boards away from Hammons and Haas. Both he and Egwu picked up four fouls, but played smart late in the second half to avoid fouling out. 

If Black was the best player on the floor Wednesday, Egwu and Malcolm Hill tied for second. Egwu showed some senior desperation when he dove on the floor for a ball late in the second half. He finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. His five blocked shots were good enough to break the all-time Illini blocks record, and record-breaking rejection No. 178 came on a blocked dunk. 

You can’t say enough about Hill’s performance. His 18 points led all scorers. Hill continues to carry the team in Rice’s absence and he’s doing it while noticeably bothered by some sort of injury. He appears to be limping on the floor, and two fingers on his shooting hand have been wrapped for the last few games. As his teammates around him go down, Hill is soldiering on. 

Hill’s 3-pointer with 6:30 left gave his team the lead for good, but his defensive contributions were just as significant. While Egwu was saddled with foul trouble, Hill took on the challenge of guarding Hammons, muscling the 7-footer out of the paint. Hammons went scoreless in the second half. 

Kendrick Nunn (14 points, seven rebounds) deserves a shoutout, and so does the Illini’s incredible stretch of foul shooting. Illinois went 21-for-24 Wednesday from the line, and free throw shooting will keep this team in a lot of games if it can get to the line consistently. 

The Illinois win was an important one for its NCAA tournament hopes, with three games coming up against opponents that currently possess a combined conference record of 3-17. If you look at the big picture, the way Illinois has played since Rice went down is truly remarkable and a testament to Groce and his leadership. 

When Rice went down, a realistic goal for the Illini was to tread water until he could return sometime in February. Groce has his team not only staying afloat, but playing with an energy and passion that could make them dangerous when they get healthy near the end of the season. 

They’ll have to keep playing inspired until the cavalry comes. 

Alex is a junior in AHS. He can be reached at [email protected] and @aroux94.