Short-Handed Illini Drop Heart Breaker at No. 14 Indiana

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Illinois fought for all 40 minutes but ultimately fell just short in a 71-68 loss at No. 14 Indiana at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday afternoon.

Matthew Mayer finished with a team-high 24 point in the loss, bolstering the Illini offense in the absence of leading scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. who missed his first game of the season due to a concussion. Mayer recorded his 16th double-digit scoring performance of the season while knocking down four 3-pointers and registering team-highs with eight rebounds and five blocks, plus one steal.

Jayden Epps recorded 12 points, nine of which came in the second half. Epps made a team-high three steals and two assists.

Dain Dainja tallied 11 points, five rebounds, and two steals, and he helped guide the Illini to 32 points in the paint.

Ty Rodgers continued to positively impact the game on both ends of the floor with four points, five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one steal off the bench.

Coleman Hawkins notched six points, seven rebounds, one block, and one steal, while Luke Goode put together a season-high seven-point performance.

The Illini forced nine blocks, their most in a road game this season, and nine steals.

Illinois (17-9, 8-7) returns to State Farm Center for a two-game homestand, which begins with a meeting with Minnesota on Monday night at 8 p.m. CT.

HIGHLIGHTS

POSTGAME NOTES

TEAM NOTES

• Illinois led for more than 26 minutes of game time, taking the lead at the 9:10 mark in the first half, and not trailing again until the final 30 seconds of the contest.
  • The contest also featured 10 ties, a season-most for an Illinois game. 
• The loss snaps the Illini's two-game winning streak in Bloomington. Indiana last beat Illinois on its home court Jan. 13, 2019.
• Illinois built a lead in the first half by connecting on 50 percent (6-12) of its three-point attempts.
  • The Illini struggled from beyond the arc in the second half, however, going 0-for-8 from distance in the final 20 minutes.
• Illinois' largest lead of the game was nine points, 48-39, at the 12:41 mark of the second half.
• Illinois snaps a three-game winning streak against ranked opponents and moves to 4-3 on the year against top-25 foes.
• Illinois tied a season high with 19 fast break points, posting a 19-11 edge in the category.

PLAYER NOTES

• RJ Melendez made his first start since Dec. 22 vs. Mizzou, getting the nod in place of the Illini's scoring leader Terrence Shannon Jr. who did not travel due to a concussion and missed his first start of the season.
• Matthew Mayer led the team in points (24), rebounds (8), and blocks (5), while notching one steal.
  • Mayer posted 16 first-half points including four three-pointers, the most triples in a single half in his collegiate career.
  • It marks the ninth time this season that Mayer has led the Illini in scoring, and the fourth time he has pulled down a team-high rebounding total.
  • Mayer has scored 20+ points five times this season.
• Jayden Epps scored scored 12 points and tied for the team lead with two assists.
  • Epps has reached double-figures 18 times, including 12 of the Illini's last 15 contests.
  • Epps also recorded a career high in minutes (34:34) and tied his high with three steals. 
• Dain Dainja tallied his 10th double-digit game of the season, finishing with 11 points.  
• Luke Goode, in just his third game action since returning from a foot injury, tallied seven points, two rebounds and two assist in a season-high 23 minutes off the bench.
  • Goode tied his career high for field goals (3), assists (2), steals (1), and blocks (1). 
• Ty Rodgers posted four points and five rebounds in 27 miinutes.
  • He set a career-high with seven field-goal attempts and tied his personal best with one block