Highlights | Box Score (PDF)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Led by a breakout performance by Graduate Student Alfonso Plummer and a double-double performance by junior Kofi Cockburn, the Fighting Illini grabbed a 72-64 victory over Kansas State Tuesday evening in the consolation game of the Hall of Fame Classic.
Plummer made a statement in just his fifth game in an Illinois uniform, tallying 21 points and seven three pointers, just one off the Illinois single-game record of eight. Cockburn recorded his first double-double of the season with a team-leading 23 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore Andre Curbelo led the team in assists with seven helpers on the night.
The Illini started out strong, backed by seven points and two rebounds in the first five minutes from Cockburn to jump out to a 10-4 lead.
After a Kansas State scoring run saw the Wildcats grab a 16-14 lead with ten to go in the first half, Illinois' offense went on a tear. Alfonso Plummer began the run with treys in three consecutive possessions, and a pair of Cockburn buckets gave the Illini a 29-22 lead.
Another Wildcat scoring run, along with layups from Austin Hutcherson, Jacob Grandison, and Cockburn brought the score to 34-31 Illinois heading into the break.
It was a back-and-forth affair to start the second half, with Kansas State opening with a 6-0 run followed by an Illini 7-0 run.
After the Wildcats took a 42-41 lead, Illinois' offense again heated up thanks to stellar shooting from behind-the-arc. Plummer added another trio of three-pointers while sophomore Coleman Hawkins added his second trey of the game, and a 21-7 Illini run opened up a 62-49 lead with five minutes to go in the contest.
Kansas State kept it close, bringing the game within two possessions with less than two minutes to play, but the Illinois defense shut down the Wildcats and came away with the 72-64 victory.
ILLINOIS NOTES
- Illinois ended a two-game skid with their 72-64 victory, moving the team to 3-2 on the season.
- Illinois set season-bests in field goal percentage (25-48/ .521) and three-point percentage (12-26/ .462).
- Illinois tallied a season-best 20 assists.
- Graduate Student Alfonso Plummer hit seven three-pointers vs. Kansas State, just one shy of the Illinois single-game record and the most since Trent Frazier hit seven threes against Wisconsin on Feb. 8, 2018.
- Junior Kofi Cockburn recorded his first double-double of the season and the 29th of his career, moving him into a tie for seventh in Illinois history.
- Sophomore Coleman Hawkins tied his career-high with two three-pointers.
- Graduate Student Austin Hutcherson set new career-highs in rebounds (four), assists (two), and minutes played (20).
