CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Illinois coach John Groce saw the change he had hoped for from his team Wednesday night in the Illini's 85-69 win over Michigan.
Illinois (12-5, 2-2 Big Ten) changed up its lineup after its 96-80 loss to Indiana on Saturday, its second blowout loss in three games, and the improvements showed as six different players scored in double figures, led by Maverick Morgan with 16 points.
The changes worked for Groce on Wednesday, but the coach stayed away from cementing the lineup when asked if it would continue to succeed.
"(The changes worked) tonight," Groce said. "I think we're going to need everybody, every game and every team is different . tonight it was the best decision for our team to put us in the position to compete tonight."
Much of the offensive success came from the addition of freshmen Kipper Nichols and Te'Jon Lucas into the lineup. The two impressed the coaching staff in Illinois' attempted comeback against Indiana, leading to more playing time.
Nichols had his strongest performance of the season, coming off the bench for 13 points and eight rebounds, helping the Illini to a 30-17 rebounding advantage.
Lucas took advantage of 23 minutes of playing time, leading Illinois' productive offense while also scoring five points and adding eight assists with only one turnover.
Although Morgan didn't know exactly how to describe what the two brought, he said it was a different aura to the team.
"It is hard to explain, it's energy that not everybody can bring," Morgan said. "It gets everyone going."
Illinois outscored Michigan 28-9 off the bench.
The Wolverines had a 4:30 field goal drought and the Illini put together a 17-2 to close the first half for a 49-36 halftime.
Both teams shot better than 60 percent in the first half but the Illini were even better in the second, making 17 of 21 shots, and finished 9 of 14 from 3-point range. Michigan cooled off to 45 percent in the second half but finished 7 of 14 behind the arc.
"The basket is really big when you're playing Michigan right now," Michigan coach John Beilein said.
DJ Wilson led Michigan (11-6, 1-3) with 19 points and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman added 14 points in an effort where too many Illinois runs and Michigan scoring droughts took the game away from Michigan.
"Really a tough game for this coach to understand. Obviously Illinois played really well," Beilein said. "We didn't guard the ball really well, and that's the story of the game."
UP NEXT
The Illini will host Maryland on Saturday at State Farm Center (5 pm on ESPN2).
ILLINOIS POSTGAME NOTES
Team Notes
• Illinois leads the all-time series against Michigan, 87-81, including a 56-27 advantage in Champaign.
• Illinois has won eight of its last 10 games dating back to Nov. 29 vs. North Carolina State.
• Illinois is 9-1 at home this season and on a five-game home winning streak.
• Illinois used the starting lineup of Abrams, Coleman-Lands, Hill, Black and Morgan for the first time this season. It is the Illini's fifth different starting lineup this season.
• The Illini shot a season-high 64.2 percent from the field and 64.3 percent from three-point range.
• Illinois tied its best three-point shooting night since Nov. 30, 2010 vs. UNC (8-12, .667). The Illini went 9-14 from three tonight and also against Northwestern Jan. 6, 2011.
• Illinois' 64.2 percent shooting was its best mark since shooting 70.5 percent against Northwestern Jan. 6, 2011.
• Illinois' 49 points in the first half is its highest total against a D-1 opponent this season.
• The Illini shot 62.5 percent in the first half; good for its best first-half shooting percentage this season and second-best half overall (67.9-percent vs. NC State).
• The Illini held Michigan to just 17 rebounds in the game, the Wolverines' lowest total since Jan. 22, 2011 (13 vs. Minnesota). The Wolverines also had 17 vs. Iowa, Feb. 5, 2015.
• Michigan's 17 rebounds are the least by an Illinois opponent since Dec. 6, 2014 when American had 16.
• Illinois' 16-point margin of victory is its highest against Michigan since Jan. 16, 2008 when the Illini defeated the Wolverines by 17 points (75-57).
• Six Illini scored in double-figures, tied for the most players in double-digits this season (six vs. McKendree).
• The Illini bench outscored the Michigan bench, 28-9.
Individual Notes
• Freshman Te'Jon Lucas had a career-high eight assists. The eight assists are tied for a team-high this season (Tate, 8 vs. McKendree).
• Freshman Kipper Nichols had career highs in points (13), field goals made (6), field goals attempted (9), three-point field goals attempted (1), three-point field goals made (1), rebounds (8) and minutes (19).
• Sophomore Jalen Coleman-Lands had a career-high four assists. He tied his career high with three in the game's first 3:50.
• Redshirt-sophomore Michael Finke was 4-for-4 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three-point range for his first career perfect shooting night. Finke is 9-for-12 shooting since the calendar turned to 2017.
• Senior Malcolm Hill has now scored in double-figures in 15 of 17 games this season. Hill had 15 points tonight.
• Senior Maverick Morgan tied his season high with eight field goals made (on nine attempts) for 16 points. He has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games after scoring 10+ twice in the first 10 games.
• Morgan also added a career-high four assists.
