Illinois 80, Western Carolina 68
State Farm Center // Dec. 5, 2015 // Attendance: 11,455
- Illinois used it's eighth different starting lineup of the season as Tate, Hill, Morgan, Finke and Austin started this afternoon.
- Illinois now leads the series with Western Carolina 3-0, with all three victories coming in Champaign and two coming under John Groce.
- Michael Finke set a new career high with 24 points and nine field goals in 31 minutes of work.
- Kendrick Nunn scored 27 points to up his career-high point total from 25 to 27 and has now scored in double figures in all four games since making his season debut. Nunn tallied 17 points in the first half. He has now dropped 12 treys through his first four games of the 2015-16 season.
- Nunn's 27 points are the most by an Illini in a game this season. Nunn has scored in double figures in every contest this season. His points-per-game average is now 19.3.
- Michael Finke and Kendrick Nunn combined for 33 of Illinois' 39 first half points, 84.6%. In the game, the pair combined for 51 points, 63.8% of Illinois' 80, the most by a scoring duo this season.
- Malcolm Hill has scored in double figures in every game this season after his 10-point showing today.
- Finke entered the game shooting 70% in the two games prior (7-10) and shot 69.2% in the contest as well (9-13).
- Illinois led the game for 37:50, the longest time leading this season. (32:59)
- Illinois shot a season-best 53% (28-of-53) from the field.
- The Illinois defense held Western Carolina scoreless in the second half from the 7:58 mark to 2:58, 4:59 minute stretch, when Western Carolina sank a pair of free throws. Western Carolina missed six-straight field goals, a drought of over six minutes (7:58-1:46; 6:12).
- Illinois finished with a +13 rebounding margin in the game its best effort on the season. The Illini bested Western Carolina on the glass 34-21.
- The Illinois bench combined for 37 points against Western Carolina's 17. Entering the contest, the Illinois bench outscored opponents' benches by a 12.5-point margin. Additionally, entering the game, the Illinois bench contributed an average of 30.5 points per game. The new team average is from the bench is 31.2 ppg.
- The victory over Western Carolina is Illinois' first win in the renovated State Farm Center, which opened Dec. 2 vs. Notre Dame.
