Sell Out Crowd Sees Illini Knock Off Nebraska, 72-66

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Behind a sell out crowd at State Farm Center and a career-high 28 point performance from Leron Black, Illinois knocked off Nebraska, 72-66 on Sunday afternoon.

Black scored 17 points in the first half on 7-of-8 shooting and 3-for-3 from three-point range. He also snagged seven boards for the game. 

There were six ties and nine lead changes during the game, but the deciding basket came from Black. He nailed a fadeaway jumper with two minutes left that put the Illini ahead by three and brought the State Farm Center crowd of 15,544 to its feet.

On the Illini's final two possessions Trent Frazier and Mark Smith knocked down four free throws to secure the win.

Illinois (13-15, 3-12 Big Ten) shot 62 percent from the field and knocked down 7 of 9 from behind the arc to outscore Nebraska 43-36 in the first half. But after the break, the Cornhuskers used a 16-4 run to climb back in it for a five-point lead.

The teams traded baskets the rest of the way, but Black proved to be too much. He knocked down 3-of-5 from behind the arc in his second consecutive 20-point performance.

Frazier and and Nichols were the only other Illini to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points apiece.

Isaac Copeland led the way for Nebraska (20-9, 11-5) with 17 points.

Illinois will hit the road and face Michigan State on Tuesday at 6 pm CT. The No. 2 Spartans have a 10-game winning streak.

GAME NOTES

• With the win, Illinois earned a season split against Nebraska (lost 64-63 in Lincoln on 1/15/18) and improves to 14-7 all time against the Huskers and 10-2 vs. Nebraska in Champaign.

• The Fighting Illini snapped the Huskers' six-game winning streak. Nebraska had won 8 of its last 9 starting with their buzzer-beating win over Illinois on Jan. 15.  

• RS Junior Leron Black poured in a career-high 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He hit 11-of-18 from the field and hit 3-of-5 from behind the arc. His previous career high was 23 points, earlier this season against UT-Martin (11/12/17) and his previous high in a Big Ten game was 20 points at Indiana on Wednesday (2/14/18). 

• It was Black's sixth career game scoring 20+ points and the fifth time he's done it this season. 

• Black has scored in double-figures a team-high 23 times this season and 43 times over his career. 

• Freshman Trent Frazier scored 12 points, marking the 10th time in the last 11 games and the 15th time in the last 17 games he scored in double-figures. 

• Prior to the game, Illinois seniors Mark Alstork and Clayton Jones, along with three student managers, were honored in an on-court Senior Day ceremony. 

• Today's attendance was 15,544, a sell out at State Farm Center. It was the first sell out of the season.