Illinois Closes Non-Conference Schedule With Big Win Over Bethune-Cookman

Highlights | Press Conference | Photo Gallery | Box Score (PDF)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois closed its nonconference slate with a resounding 85-52 home victory over Bethune-Cookman at State Farm Center on Thursday night.

Dain Dainja and Sencire Harris made their first starts of the season as head coach Brad Underwood adjusted the Illini's starting lineup in the team's final nonconference action of the year. 

Five different players finished in double figures in the 33-point win, while the Illini brought the intensity on both ends of the floor.

Dainja commanded the paint and scored a career-high 22 points on an efficient 8-for-10 shooting performance while also grabbing six rebounds, making four blocks, and tallying a career-high four steals.

Harris took advantage of the opportunity in his first collegiate start and also set a new career-high scoring mark with 12 points.

Coleman Hawkins notched a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jayden Epps finished in double-digits with 13 and 10 points, respectively. 

Illinois dominated the paint, outscoring the visiting Wildcats, 42-22, in the key and scored 19 fast-break points. The Illini also came to play on defense, making 10 blocks and 10 steals in the win.

The Illini opened the night on a 10-0 run fueled by baskets from four different players just over four minutes into the contest. Five minutes later, Illinois used an 18-2 stretch to push its lead up to 29 points with under five minutes to play, holding Bethune-Cookman without a field goal for nearly seven minutes during that run.

Illinois headed into halftime with a 47-19 advantage, with the Illini using a balanced scoring performance to lead by 28 points at the break. Dainja, Epps, and Shannon Jr. all tallied eight points in the first 20 minutes of action.

The hosts forced 14 turnovers and made eight steals and seven blocks in the first half. Dainja led the team in both categories, registering two blocks and four steals in 13 minutes of first-half action.

Dainja picked up the second half exactly where he left off, scoring eight of Illinois' first 10 points after the break to push the Illini's advantage up to over 30 early in the frame.

Dainja, Hawkins, and Harris led the Illinois offensive attack in the final 20 minutes of play, scoring 30 of the team's 38 second-half points.

Illinois heads into 2023 with a 9-4 record and will resume Big Ten play on Wednesday, when the Illini travel to Evanston to take on Northwestern at 8 p.m. CT.

Highlights

Press Conference

Postgame Notes

TEAM NOTES

• Illinois improved to 9-4 overall, and 9-2 vs. non-conference opponents with an 85-52 victory over Bethune-Cookman.
  • Illinois has now won eight straight non-conference home games at State Farm Center.
• The Illini are 2-0 against Bethune-Cookman, including a 97-47 victory at State Farm Center in the first matchup in the series on Dec 28, 1999.
• Illinois' nine non-conference wins are the most since the team went 10-4 outside of the Big Ten in 2017-18, head coach Brad Underwood's first season at Illinois.
• Illinois held Bethune-Cookman to just 19 first-half points.
  • It marks the second straight home non-conference game (Alabama A&M on Dec. 17) in which the Illini held their opponent to just 19 first-half points, a season low and the fewest in a first half since also allowing 19 first-half points in a 59-56 road win at Northwestern on Jan. 29, 2022.  
• The Illini shot 49.2 percent (29-59) from the field, the team's best mark in its last eight games dating back to Nov. 25 vs. Lindenwood when the team shot 58 percent.
• Illinois recorded 10 blocks vs. Bethune-Cookman, the team's second game this season with double-digit rejections, and its first since notching a season-most 12 in a win over No. 2 Texas on Dec. 6.
• Illinois' defense held Bethune-Cookman to just 29.3 percent shooting (17-58), the Illini's second-best mark this season and the best since holding Syracuse to a season-low 27.8 percent (15-54) on Nov. 29.  

PLAYER NOTES

• Sophomore Dain Dainja and freshman Sencire Harris each made the first start of their collegiate careers on Thursday and posted career-high scoring efforts.
  • Dainja recorded a career-best 22 points on 8-for-10 shooting from the floor and 6-for-11 from the free-throw line, eclipsing his previous mark of 20 points vs. Kansas City on Nov. 11. Dainja also had career bests in assists (2) an steals (4). 
  • Harris tallied a personal-best 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers, to outpace his previous scoring high of 9 points vs. Eastern Illinois on Nov. 7. Harris' three assists also marked a career-best. 
• Junior Coleman Hawkins posted his third double-double of the season, and the fourth of his career, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
  • Hawkins also dished out a game-high four assists.
• Senior Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 13 points.
  • Shannon Jr., has scored in double digits in a team-leading 11 games this season, including each of the team's seven home non-conference victories.
• Freshman Jayden Epps also reached double-figures scoring with 10 points.
  • Epps has scored 10+ points in eight of his first 13 games in an Illini uniform.