Dominant Second Half Guides #23 Illinois to Home Win over Valparaiso

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 23 Illinois outscored Valparaiso by 30 points in the second half en route to an 87-64 victory at State Farm Center on Friday night.

The Fighting Illini tallied 49 points in the second half and held the visitors to 20% from the field during the final 20 minutes to seal the victory in Beacon head coach and Illini great Roger Powell Jr.'s return to Champaign.

"I was really proud of our guys the second half," said head coach Brad Underwood. "We came out with a different energy, and that was really the key of the game."

Terrence Shannon Jr. led the way once again, recording a team-high 22 points, including 15 in the second half. Shannon, who has scored in double figures in all four games this season, shot 50% from the field, knocked down three 3-pointers, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out a team-high four assists.

Dain Dainja, making his first start of the year, scored a season-high 16 points and shot 80% to go along with seven boards. His two blocks were a team high, and he scored 10 of his points in the second period of play.

Luke Goode hit a team-high four 3-pointers, his second consecutive outing with four triples. Goode finished his night with 13 points, the first time in his career he has had back-to-back games in double figures.

Ty Rodgers tied his season-high output with 10 points. He was a big factor behind the second-half defensive improvement, as he forced a team-high two steals.

Justin Harmon notched seven points and a team-high nine rebounds, with both marks setting a new best during his time at Illinois.

Marcus Domask scored seven points, all of which came in the first half, while Niccolo Moretti registered his first collegiate field goals and ended his career-high 13 minutes with six points.

Eight different players grabbed at least five boards, and the Illini out-rebounded the Beacons, 60-51. 

After Valparaiso took an early lead, a Shannon 3-pointer and a Rodgers layup off an offensive rebound sparked a 5-0 Illini run to cut into their deficit. Holding the Beacons without a field goal for nearly three minutes, Goode knocked down his first trey of the night to further cut into the visitors' lead.

The Illini trailed at the break, though they grabbed eight offensive boards and got 14 points from their bench.

Illinois got into a groove quickly in the second half. Shannon got downhill on back-to-back possessions in the span of 15 seconds, and his two layups cut the Illini deficit to four points. Trailing by six with under 16 minutes to play, the Orange and Blue used a 7-0 run that included consecutive Dainja buckets and a Goode 3-pointer to take their first lead of the half.

The Beacons retook the lead, but it did not last for long. Two Goode triples marked five straight Illini makes, and two Shannon layups fueled a 10-0 Illinois run to push the home side's lead to nine points halfway through the frame.

With the Illini advantage growing to double digits, another 10-0 Illini stretch extended the Orange and Blue's lead to 20 points. Dainja moved into double figures, and an improved defensive effort saw Illinois hold Valparaiso without a basket for nearly four minutes.

Closing the night with points from Harmon and Moretti, the Illini returned to winning ways and secured the 23-point home victory.

Illinois returns to State Farm Center on Sunday to take on Southern. Tipoff on Big Ten Network is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT.

Highlights

Press Conference

Postgame Notes

PLAYER NOTES

• Terrence Shannon Jr. scored a team-high 22 points (7-for-14 FG, 3-for-7 3FG), secured seven rebounds, and added four assists.
  • Has back-to-back 20-point games.
    • First such instance since scoring 20+ on Feb. 14 and Feb. 23, 2022, at Penn State and vs. Northwestern, respectively.
      • Had three instances of back-to-back 20+ point games last season.
  • Has now scored at least 15 points in each of his first four games of the season.
  • Has scored in double figures in each of his last 14 games, a streak that began Jan. 31, 2023.
  • Has made at least three 3-pointers in three of four games this season.
  • Scored 15 of his 22 points in the second half.
• Dain Dainja scored a season-high 16 points on 8-for-10 shooting and also grabbed seven rebounds in his first start of the season.
  • Set a new season-high mark in points.
    • Has scored at least 10 points in two of his last three games.
  • Scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half.
• Luke Goode matched a career-high with 13 points and also added seven rebounds.
  • Went 4-for-9 from behind the arc, matching a career high mark in 3-point makes that he set on Tuesday vs. No. 4 Marquette.
  • His 3-pointer at 14:01 of the second half sparked a 32-11 run to end the game. 
  • 10 of his 13 points came in the second half.
  • First time in his career scoring in double digits in back-to-back games. 
• Ty Rodgers scored 10 points, had seven rebounds, and dished out two assists.
  • Has scored in double figures in two of his last three games.
• Niccolo Moretti scored a career-high six points and had two assists off of the bench.

TEAM NOTES

• The Illini now hold an 8-0 lead in the all-time series vs. Valparaiso. 
• Illinois out-rebounded Valpo, 60-51.
  • The 60 rebounds set a new season-high mark.
  • The Illini have won the rebounding battle in all four contests this season.
  • The 60 rebounds are the most since grabbing 62 on Nov. 25, 2020, vs. North Carolina A&T.
  • Eight different Illini had at least five rebounds and five had at least seven.
  • Scored 13 second-chance points on 15 offensive rebounds.
• The Illini assisted 16 times on 33 field goals.
  • Set a new season-high in assists.
  • Have double-digit assists in three of four games this season.
• The Illinois bench outscored Valpo's, 30-10. 
• Held Valpo to 9-for-45 from the field in the second half. 
• Outscored Valpo, 49-19, in the second half. 
  • 22-10 in the first 10:52 of the second half.
  • Held the Beacons to 9-for-45 (20%) from the floor in the second half.
• Outscored Valpo, 48-28, in the paint. 
• Four Illini scored in double figures for the second time this season.

Quotes

Head coach Brad Underwood

Opening statement:

"It was definitely the tale of two halves. The game is so fickle. When you don't show up and play the right way, with the energy and the mental approach, it gets to be a real struggle. Give Roger and his crew a ton of credit. We were in the locker room before the game. They were tearing it up, and they came out and just punched us. 

"I thought their two wings, Edwards and Stafford, were both terrific. They did it in some different ways. Obviously, Stafford got cooking, but we were really flat with our switches. We weren't talking. There was no energy. There was no life, which is disappointing, because we had two really good days of practice.

"Really happy for Justin. I thought Justin had a really good night. He gave up a back cut late, but nine points, seven rebounds. It was great to see Ty and TJ become effective on the glass. We've been talking about that. I thought Luke was terrific. There were a couple of missed free throws, but again, I thought Dain, it was definitely his best game of the year. His impact in the paint was huge for us. We've got to keep working and trying to get him comfortable at the free-throw line. He did some things tonight, just sealing bodies and doing things that were impactful that allowed us to get downhill. 

"TJ just turned it up in the second half. TJ, defensively, did what a veteran should do. That's on him to make sure we do that at the start. We really haven't had a half like that. We fought foul trouble. We're top-10 in the country in fewest fouls, and tonight, we fouled a bunch and had some different lineups out there. 

"I was really proud of our guys the second half. We came out with a different energy, and that was really the key of the game."

On Justin Harmon and his knack for getting rebounds:

"He is always around the ball. I love him on the ball. I love his tenacity. The ball finds him. He's got really strong hands. When he gets the ball in his hands, nobody's going to take it, even if they're bigger. He's going to be a huge part of what we do. There's a lot of comfort because he's learning a different defensive concept than what he's played. 

"One of the things that I enjoy about him is that he is working really hard at it. I told all of our guys, 'I don't care who scores. We're gonna find ways to score. It is going to be a little bit of everybody.' On the defensive side, that's where we've got to hang our hat, and Justin's doing a great job there."

Dain Dainja

On his increased role after making his first start of the season:

"I was just staying with my routine, handling my business off the court, making sure my body was right, making sure I was ready to go, making sure I was practicing hard, practicing good habits. It transferred over, and I stayed ready."

Terrence Shannon Jr.

On the player-led discussions in the locker room at halftime:

"Right when we got in, I said I got 19. I was obviously in foul trouble, and I can't put myself in that position. The team needed me on the court. We all talked. Everybody had a say on what they thought, what they saw on the floor, and what we needed to fix. Out of everything, it was about our effort and our defensive intensity. Once we picked that up, we know we are one of the best defensive teams in the country, and we showed that in the second half."