CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Michael Finke had his second career double-double and four more Illinois players scored in double figures to help the Illini beat Division III Augustana (IL) 96-62 on Wednesday night.
Finke finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds — both season highs — and Leron Black had 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting for Illinois (5-0). Mark Smith scored 13, Aaron Jordan added 12 points and Trent Frazier 10. Jordan made a career-high four 3-pointers.
Finke and Mark Alstork hit back-to-back 3s to cap an 8-0 game-opening run and the Illini never trailed. Brett Benning made a 3-pointer to pull Augustana within two points, but Illinois scored the next 10 points to make it 21-9. Jordan and Finke hit 3-pointers 27 seconds apart to make it 32-17 with nearly nine minutes left in the half and Augustana trailed by double figures the rest of the way.
Dylan Sortillo led the Vikings with 18 points and Chrishawn Orange added 10 on 2-of-10 shooting.
TEAM NOTES
• Illinois is 5-0 for the first time since winning its first six games of the 2014-15 season.
• The Fighting Illini knocked down 10-of-23 three pointers, blowing past their season-high of seven made threes over the first four games.
• The Illinois defense forced 29 Augustana turnovers, a season-high, leading to a 36-10 edge in points off turnovers.
• The Illini dished out 19 assists to tie a season-high.
• For the third time in five games this season, the Illini had five players score in double figures (20-Finke, 15-Black, 13-Smith, 12-Jordan, 10-Frazier).
• Augustana head coach Grey Giovanine previously served at Lamar, where he coached current Fighting Illini assistant Ron Coleman.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• RS Junior forward Michael Finke posted his second career double-double and first of the season with 20 points and 10 rebounds. The Champaign native hit 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range.
• Freshman guard Mark Smith scored 13 points tonight and became the first Illinois freshman to score in double figures in four straight games since Kendrick Nunn in 2014 (1st-MICH 3/4; 4th-MICH 3/14). The last to go five straight was Brian Cook in 2000.
• Junior Aaron Jordan continued his breakout season with 12 points while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from behind the arc. He's now 11-of-18 from downtown this season (.611).
• RS junior Leron Black did all of his damage in the first half, pouring in all of his 15 points (5-7 FG) before the intermission.
