Indiana Men’s Basketball Drops Saturday Afternoon Contest to Illinois

Saturday, February 5

Bloomington, Ind.

Noon

Indiana University

16-6,7-5Big Ten

Illinois

17-5,10-2Big Ten

Illinois

Indiana

Indiana Men’s Basketball Drops Saturday Afternoon Contest to Illinois

2/5/2022 2:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana Hoosiers had Illinois just where they wanted it -- their defense thriving, their offense executing, the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall crowd screaming.

They led 46-42 early in the second half. They had forced consecutive Illini airballs. Trayce Jackson-Davis, a first-half non-factor because of foul trouble, was seemingly poised for a difference-making second half after blowing past 7-foot center Kofi Cockburn for a layup that generated social media video acclaim.

And then, it was gone.

The No. 18 Illini responded with a 32-11, game-ending run in Saturday's 74-57 victory that kept them atop the Big Ten standings with a 10-2 record.

Indiana (16-6 overall, 7-5 in the Big Ten) was left to consider what might have been.

"They put a solid 40-minute game together," coach Mike Woodson said. "We put a 20-minute game together.
"In the second half, we didn't have much going."

With the Hoosiers shooting just 36 percent from the field, they lacked the firepower to counter the Illini's dominating inside-out game – center Kofi Cockburn had 17 points, guard Trent Frazier had 23, Illinois made 10 three-pointers.

"In the first half we played we played good defense on the three-point line," forward Race Thompson said. "In the second half, we faded away. We have to be better."

Offensively, IU was just 3-for-13 on three-pointers and made just five of 14 layup attempts.

"Give Illinois credit, it comes with their defense," said Thompson, who led IU with 13 points. "Offensively, we have to slow down and focus on making our shots. Get confident in our shots and running our sets.

"I missed some chippies I'd love to have back. I'm frustrated about that. I have to get back to work. I can't hang my head on that."

Woodson, who is hard on point guards, wanted more from guard Xavier Johnson in terms of running the offense, and calling plays. Johnson did have 12 points, five assists and five rebounds against two turnovers.

"I don't think we got into anything," Woodson said. "I thought X had turned the corner on that, but he never got us into anything."

In the final five minutes, Woodson replaced all the starters.

"I took them out because they weren't playing well," he said.

With Cockburn settled in the paint defensively, Jackson-Davis had outside shooting opportunities he never took.
He finished 3-for-9, all from inside the paint, not surprising given he's only taken two three-pointers in his college career, both this season. He totaled six points and six rebounds.

"He's not comfortable doing it," Woodson said. "He shoots some in practice.

"We not asking him to shoots threes. He can make the 10- to-16, 17-footers, but he won't shoot them. I've got to keep working with him. That's on me."

IU is 13-2 at home. Illinois (17-5 overall) is 5-2 on the road.

"Give Mike and his team credit," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "That's a good basketball team that was well prepared. We knew we were going to be in for a fight; we knew we were going to have some punches thrown at us.

"I thought we withstood their energy, their emotion."

Jackson-Davis picked up his second foul four minutes into the game. In came backup center Michael Durr with the Hoosiers ahead 8-7.

Yes, we had seen this before -- in IU's win over Purdue, but that came with a Rob Phinisee career night.

Phinisee was out with a foot injury.

Still, at one point, Durr just missed -- only because it spun out -- a 3-pointer. He grabbed a rebound, drew a foul and made a free throw. He defended Illinois into a couple of misses, and battled Cockburn to a draw.

Add Parker Stewart's pair of three-pointers and the Hoosiers surged ahead 19-11 on a 7-0 run nine minutes into the game.

With Trey Galloway, Khristian Lander, Jordan Geronimo and Tamar Bates also contributing off the bench, Indiana led 24-17.

The Illini tied it at 26-26 with 4:30 left in the half. With Durr getting his third foul, that left it up to Thompson and Geronimo to handle the inside burden the rest of the half.

They did.

IU pushed ahead 32-28. The Illini tied it at 34-34 before a Thompson dunk gave the Hoosiers a 36-34 halftime lead.

Johnson led with nine points, five rebounds and an assist. Thompson added seven points and four rebounds.

"I didn't think we executed particularly well in the first half," Woodson said, "and we still led by two."

For seven minutes, the second half was a back-and-forth battle.

Jackson-Davis used his quickness to blow past Cockburn for a layup and that 46-42 Hoosier advantage.

Then the Illinois caught fire.

A Jacob Grandison three-pointer -- his second straight -- gave Illinois its first lead since the start of the game, at 48-46, with 12 minutes left.

The Illini added two Cockburn free throws and a Frazier layup. Johnson countered with a three-pointer to make it 52-49. Illinois responded with a Cockburn three-point play and a Frazier three-pointer.

IU trailed 58-49, then ended the 16-3 Illini surge with a Geronimo dunk off a Johnson assist.

It wasn't nearly enough.

"The 3-point shot got away from us," Woodson said. "I thought the two big threes Jacob hit were the turning point in our downward spiral. We never recovered from it."

Next comes Tuesday night's trip to Northwestern. IU plays three of its next four games on the road.

"The game's not over at halftime," Thompson said. "Our main thing is putting two halves together. Now we've got to go to Northwestern."