Illinois Men's Basketball Team Plays Better Basketball When Using A Men's Basketball

No. 17 Illinois got off to a slow start against Oakland tonight. They were down 15-6 in the first half when players complained to a ref that the game ball felt light. That's because it was a women's regulation basketball.

The size 6 ball (which is, okay, one inch smaller and two ounces lighter) was replaced with a size 7 ball, and Illinois rallied to win, 74-63. "At first it was working in our favor," Oakland's Reggie Hamilton told Yahoo's Jeff Eisenberg. "Illinois wasn't making that many shots... Maybe they should have kept it."

Sorry, Reggie. In this case, size does matter.

Demetri McCamey scores 29 to help Illinois recover to beat Oakland [ESPN]

[H/T Tom]