Nicole Anderson Office Administrator | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Nicole Anderson Office Administrator | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
No. 19 Illinois faced a narrow defeat against No. 12 Michigan State, losing 80-78 at the Breslin Center on Sunday afternoon.
Will Riley was a standout for Illinois, making six of his first eight shots and finishing with 19 points, marking his ninth career game scoring in double figures. He also contributed six rebounds, two assists, and a block. Riley scored a game-high 16 points in the first half, helping Illinois establish an early lead.
Tomislav Ivisic added to the team's effort with 13 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Morez Johnson Jr. ended the game with 11 points and six rebounds. Kylan Boswell came close to achieving a double-double by recording 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
Drab Gibbs-Lawhorn provided seven points and matched his career high with four offensive rebounds.
Illinois will return home for two games next week starting Thursday at 8 p.m. CT against Maryland on FS1. Tickets are available at FightingIllini.com for the event at State Farm Center.
Despite outrebounding Michigan State 41-40 and leading in offensive boards with a 15-13 advantage resulting in 12 second-chance points, Illinois could not secure the win. The Illini bench outscored their opponents' bench by a margin of 40-34 but struggled from beyond the arc with only five successful three-point attempts out of twenty-four.
The loss ends Illinois' three-game Big Ten road winning streak as they move to a record of 3-3 against top-25 teams this season and stand at 5-3 away from their home venue.
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