Fighting Illini Page 2 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Illinois freshman Morez Johnson Jr. (wrist) out indefinitely
Illinois freshman forward Morez Johnson Jr., a starter for the Fighting Illini over the past eight games, will be out indefinitely after breaking his left wrist while blocking a shot on Saturday.,Johnson, who is averaging 7.2 points this season but 9.9 since joining the starting lineup on Jan. 23, m...
No. 11 Michigan State out to halt slide in clash with Illinois
Two Saturdays ago, Michigan State was the Big Ten's only undefeated team., ,But with three losses in their last four games, it has taken a mere fortnight for the 11th-ranked Spartans (19-5, 10-3) to tumble into third place. It doesn't get any easier for coach Tom Izzo and Co. as they face Illinois (...
Battling illness, UCLA tries to extend win streak to 8 at Illinois
UCLA flies into Illinois riding a seven-game winning streak that nearly restored the Bruins to the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in a month.,The Bruins (18-6, 9-4 Big Ten), the first team listed outside the Top 25 in Monday's poll, face a few questions heading into their two-game Midwes...
Rutgers loses big lead, then recovers to upset No. 23 Illinois
Dylan Harper racked up 28 points, six rebounds and five assists in his return from a two-game injury absence and Rutgers blew a 17-point lead before coming back to upset No. 23 Illinois 82-73 on Wednesday in Piscataway, N.J., ,Ace Bailey added 18 points and 11 rebounds and Jeremiah Williams scored 1...
No. 17 Illinois uses balanced scoring to coast past Northwestern
Kylan Boswell scored 17 points to lead five players in double figures as No. 17 Illinois rolled to an 83-74 Big Ten victory over Northwestern Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.,Starting for 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivisic, who missed his second straight game due to mononucleosis, freshman center Morez Joh...
No. 12 Michigan State outlasts No. 19 Illinois for 11th straight win
Tre Holloman scored 17 points to lead No. 12 Michigan State to an 80-78 win over No. 19 Illinois on Sunday in East Lansing, Mich.,Frankie Fidler and Coen Carr each added 11 points for the Spartans (16-2, 7-0 Big Ten), who have won 11 straight games.,Will Riley scored 19 points off the bench for Illi...
No. 19 Illinois uses explosive first half to rout Indiana
Kylan Boswell scored 22 points and backcourt mate Kasparas Jakucionis added 21 as No. 19 Illinois racked up 60 first-half points to spark a 94-69 Big Ten rout of Indiana Tuesday night in Bloomington, Ind., ,Tomislav Ivisic posted 17 points and 11 rebounds and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn added 12 points as the...
No. 19 Illinois, Indiana dealing with similar setbacks
Don't tell Illinois and Indiana -- two bitter rivals who have despised each other for generations -- that they're looking awfully similar heading into their Big Ten showdown Tuesday night in Bloomington, Ind.,The No. 19 Fighting Illini (12-4, 4-2) owned a five-game winning streak until they suffered...
Kasparas Jakucionis helps No. 22 Illinois slip past Washington
Kasparas Jakucionis had 18 points, six assists and five rebounds as No. 22 Illinois held on to defeat Washington 81-77 on Sunday afternoon in Seattle and complete a sweep of its trip to the Pacific Northwest.,Tre White had 17 points and seven rebounds and Kylan Boswell added 14 points, including two...
No. 20 Illinois holds off No. 15 South Carolina for rare 10th win
Josh McCray rushed for 114 yards and two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 7:29 left, to lead No. 20 Illinois to a 21-17 Citrus Bowl victory over No. 15 South Carolina Tuesday afternoon in Orlando, Fla., ,Luke Altmyer completed 13 of 22 passes for 174 yards with one score and one interce...
No. 24 Illinois trounces winless Chicago State 117-64
Tomislav Ivisic scored a career-high 23 points to lead six players in double figures as No. 24 Illinois raced past visiting Chicago State 117-64 on Sunday in Champaign, Ill.,Kylan Boswell also starred for the Fighting Illini (9-3) with an 18-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. Dra Gibbs-Lawh...
No. 15 South Carolina, No. 20 Illinois vie for 10th win at Citrus Bowl
South Carolina's best defensive player -- actually, the nation's best defensive player -- won't play in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve. Illinois won't have its all-Big Ten receiver., ,But aside from the Gamecocks' Kyle Kennard and the Fighting Illini's Pat Bryant opting out for NFL Draft purposes...
Jordan Gainey drains layup at the buzzer as No. 1 Tennessee edges Illinois
Jordan Gainey drove the length of the court and scooped in a right-handed layup on the left side of the hoop at the buzzer to lift No. 1 Tennessee to a 66-64 nonconference victory over Illinois before a sellout crowd Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.,Gainey came off the bench to deliver 18 of hi...
Illinois gets best of No. 20 Wisconsin thanks to second-half run
Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis posted a career-high 24 points to go along with six rebounds and five assists and Tre White added a season-high 23 points as Illinois earned an 86-80 victory over No. 20 Wisconsin on Tuesday night in Champaign, Ill.,Kylan Boswell chipped in 19 points and six assists for ...
Nick Martinelli propels Northwestern past No. 19 Illinois in OT
Nick Martinelli scored seven of his game-high 27 points in overtime to lead Northwestern to a 70-66 Big Ten victory over No. 19 Illinois before a sellout crowd on Friday in Evanston, Ill.,Brooks Barnhizer posted 17 points and nine rebounds while playing all 45 minutes for the Wildcats (7-3, 1-1 Big ...
No. 23 Illinois optimistic about postseason hopes, takes on Northwestern
Illinois comes in at No. 23 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and with three losses remains a long shot to make the coveted Top 12.,Still, it's coach Bret Bielema's experience to never say never.,As they prepare for Saturday's game against struggling Northwestern at Chicago's Wrigley F...
Will Riley making impact for No. 25 Illinois; Little Rock up next
Illinois wing Will Riley could still be in high school. The freshman reclassified in the spring to go to college this fall.,Riley also could be in the starting lineup for No. 25 Illinois. The 6-foot-8 Canadian has found a way to lead the Fighting Illini (4-1) in scoring despite coming off the bench ...
No. 25 Illinois rebounds in big way, blasts UMES 87-40
Will Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill., ,Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Bo...
Revamped Illinois roster chasing chemistry, faces Eastern Illinois
For the third year in a row, Illinois welcomes Eastern Illinois to kick off the season. But as the Fighting Illini prepare for Monday's game in Champaign, Ill., they bear almost no resemblance to last season's group.,The Illini retain just two scholarship players -- guards Ty Rodgers and Dravyn Gibb...
No. 24 Illinois' Bret Bielema out to remain perfect vs. Minnesota
Illinois coach Bret Bielema will strive to maintain his stranglehold over Minnesota when the No. 24 Fighting Illini host the Golden Gophers on Saturday in Champaign, Ill.,Bielema is 10-0 in his coaching career against Minnesota, including a 3-0 mark since he took over at Illinois in December 2020. H...