Nov. 27, 2010

Box Score

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Mike Tisdale had 18 points and seven rebounds and No. 19 Illinois beat Western Michigan 78-63 on Saturday.

Brandon Paul added 14 points and Demetri McCamey had eight points and 10 assists for the Illini (6-1), who have won three straight since losing to Texas in the semifinals of the 2K Sports Classic at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Matt Stainbrook led Western Michigan (1-3) with 16 points and Nate Hutcheson contributed 15. Mike Douglas had nine points and seven assists.

Western Michigan got the contest's first bucket on Flenard Whitfield's tap-in with 19:37 left, but Illinois scored the next nine points on Mike Davis's jumper and dunk, Paul's 3-pointer and D.J. Richardson's jumper. Demetrius Ward's 3-point shot pulled the Broncos within 11-7 with 16:16 left, but that was as close as Western Michigan got the rest of the game.

Tisdale led Illinois with 10 first-half points, while Davis and Paul each contributed eight. Stainbrook led Western Michigan with 10 at the break.

Illinois led 49-24 at halftime, its biggest lead of the game. Hutcheson's 3-pointer with 16:03 left brought the Broncos within 53-36, but Tisdale's tap-in with 7:59 left put Illinois ahead by 20 again at 70-50.

Illinois forward Tyler Griffey went to the locker room with a towel against the left side of his face after taking a nasty fall, face-first onto the court, as he was fouled by Whitfield with 8:35 left. There was no word on his condition.