Illinois pulls away midway through 2nd, beats Nebraska 72-56

AP
Jan 31, 2023

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Matthew Mayer scored 16 points to lead four in double figures as Illinois beat Nebraska 72-56 on Tuesday night.

Illinois (16-6, 7-4 Big Ten) has won seven of its last eight games while Nebraska (10-13, 3-9) has lost four straight.

Illinois pulled away with a 15-4 run for a 63-54 lead with 5:29 to play. Sencire Harris scored six points with a dunk during the stretch and Hawkins had four points.

Mayer was 4 of 14 from the floor and made three of the Illini's five 3-pointers. Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 13 points, Jayden Epps had 12 and Coleman Hawkins added 10 points and eight rebounds. Harris had eight points.

Sam Griesel scored 21 points on 7-of-17 shooting to lead Nebraska. The Cornhuskers shot 40% and turned it over 19 times.

The Cornhuskers opened the game on a 12-5 run, but Illinois led 38-37 at the break. The Illini forced three turnovers in the opening minutes of the second half and led 48-41. The Cornhuskers answered a pair of 3-pointers from Keisei Tominaga and one from C.J. Wilcher for their last lead at 50-48 with 12 minutes left.

Illinois plays at Iowa on Saturday. Nebraska hosts Penn State on Sunday.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

1st Half
NEB
Cornhuskers
37
ILL
Fighting Illini
38

Time		Play	Score
20:00		Derrick Walker vs. Coleman Hawkins (Fighting Illini gains possession)
19:40		Matthew Mayer turnover (traveling)
19:29	+2	Sam Griesel makes two point jump shot	2-0
19:16		Dain Dainja misses two point jump shot
19:14		Derrick Walker defensive rebound
18:52		Sam Hoiberg misses two point jump shot
18:50		Coleman Hawkins defensive rebound
18:44	+3	Terrence Shannon Jr. makes three point jump shot (Coleman Hawkins assists)	2-3
18:24		Sam Griesel misses three point jump shot
18:22		Jamarques Lawrence offensive rebound
18:16		Jamarques Lawrence misses three point jump shot
18:14		Fighting Illini defensive rebound
17:57		Terrence Shannon Jr. misses two point layup
17:55		Derrick Walker defensive rebound
17:47		Matthew Mayer blocks Derrick Walker's two point layup
17:45		Coleman Hawkins defensive rebound
17:39		Matthew Mayer misses three point jump shot
17:37		Sam Griesel defensive rebound
17:28	+2	Derrick Walker makes two point layup (Sam Griesel assists)	4-3
17:07		Terrence Shannon Jr. misses three point jump shot
17:05		Denim Dawson defensive rebound
16:58		Jamarques Lawrence misses three point jump shot
16:56		Jayden Epps defensive rebound
16:41		Matthew Mayer misses three point jump shot
16:39		Sam Griesel defensive rebound
16:28		Coleman Hawkins shooting foul (Sam Griesel draws the foul)
16:28		Sam Griesel misses regular free throw 1 of 2
16:28	+1	Sam Griesel makes regular free throw 2 of 2	5-3
16:18		Matthew Mayer misses two point layup
16:16		Matthew Mayer offensive rebound
16:15		Matthew Mayer misses two point layup
16:13		Derrick Walker defensive rebound
16:13		Matthew Mayer personal foul
15:53		Sam Griesel misses three point jump shot
15:51		Fighting Illini defensive rebound
15:52		Denim Dawson personal foul
15:36		Coleman Hawkins turnover (bad pass) (Derrick Walker steals)
15:31		Jayden Epps shooting foul (Sam Griesel draws the foul)
15:31	+1	Sam Griesel makes regular free throw 1 of 2	6-3
15:31	+1	Sam Griesel makes regular free throw 2 of 2	7-3
15:22	+2	Terrence Shannon Jr. makes two point layup	7-5
14:55		Denim Dawson turnover (lost ball)
14:32		Dain Dainja misses two point hook shot
14:30		Sam Griesel defensive rebound
14:18	+3	Sam Griesel makes three point jump shot	10-5
14:01		Terrence Shannon Jr. turnover (bad pass)
13:39		Derrick Walker turnover (lost ball)
13:26		RJ Melendez misses three point jump shot
13:24		Derrick Walker defensive rebound
13:06	+2	Sam Griesel makes two point jump shot	12-5
12:43	+2	Jayden Epps makes two point jump shot	12-7
12:24		Sam Griesel turnover (bad pass) (Coleman Hawkins steals)
12:15		Jayden Epps misses three point jump shot
12:13		Ty Rodgers offensive rebound
12:00		RJ Melendez misses three point jump shot
11:58		Ty Rodgers offensive rebound
11:57		Keisei Tominaga personal foul (Ty Rodgers draws the foul)
11:57		TV timeout
11:42		Terrence Shannon Jr. misses three point jump shot
11:40		Matthew Mayer offensive rebound
11:40	+2	Matthew Mayer makes two point layup	12-9
11:40		Jamarques Lawrence shooting foul (Matthew Mayer draws the foul)
11:40	+1	Matthew Mayer makes regular free throw 1 of 1	12-10
11:22		Ty Rodgers personal foul
11:14		Sam Griesel misses two point hook shot
11:12		Matthew Mayer defensive rebound
11:05		Matthew Mayer misses three point jump shot
11:03		Ty Rodgers offensive rebound
11:03		Sam Griesel personal foul (Ty Rodgers draws the foul)
10:59	+2	Ty Rodgers makes two point layup (Terrence Shannon Jr. assists)	12-12
10:42		C.J. Wilcher misses three point jump shot
10:40		Sencire Harris defensive rebound
10:30		Derrick Walker personal foul (Sencire Harris draws the foul)
10:14	+2	Dain Dainja makes two point layup (Terrence Shannon Jr. assists)	12-14
10:00	+3	Sam Griesel makes three point jump shot (Derrick Walker assists)	15-14
9:48		Derrick Walker personal foul (Matthew Mayer draws the foul)
9:46		Terrence Shannon Jr. misses two point jump shot
9:44		Wilhelm Breidenbach defensive rebound
9:25		C.J. Wilcher turnover (lost ball) (Sencire Harris steals)
9:14	+3	Terrence Shannon Jr. makes three point jump shot (Sencire Harris assists)	15-17
8:58		Sam Griesel misses two point jump shot
8:56		Ty Rodgers defensive rebound
8:52	+2	Sencire Harris makes two point layup (Ty Rodgers assists)	15-19
8:45		Cornhuskers 30 second timeout
8:36		Dain Dainja personal foul (Sam Griesel draws the foul)
8:17		Denim Dawson misses three point jump shot
8:15		Coleman Hawkins defensive rebound
8:08		Dain Dainja misses two point layup
8:06		Blaise Keita defensive rebound
7:58	+2	Sam Griesel makes two point dunk	17-19
7:38		Terrence Shannon Jr. offensive foul (Blaise Keita draws the foul)
7:38		Terrence Shannon Jr. turnover (offensive foul)
7:38		TV timeout
7:20	+2	Jamarques Lawrence makes two point jump shot	19-19
6:57	+3	Matthew Mayer makes three point jump shot (Coleman Hawkins assists)	19-22
6:35		RJ Melendez shooting foul (Blaise Keita draws the foul)
6:35	+1	Blaise Keita makes regular free throw 1 of 2	20-22
6:35		Blaise Keita misses regular free throw 2 of 2
6:35		RJ Melendez defensive rebound
6:11	+2	Dain Dainja makes two point layup (Coleman Hawkins assists)	20-24
5:52		Matthew Mayer blocks Denim Dawson's two point layup
5:50		Dain Dainja defensive rebound
5:30	+2	RJ Melendez makes two point layup	20-26
5:13		Sam Griesel misses two point jump shot
5:11		Matthew Mayer defensive rebound
5:02		Blaise Keita shooting foul (Jayden Epps draws the foul)
5:02	+1	Jayden Epps makes regular free throw 1 of 2	20-27
5:02	+1	Jayden Epps makes regular free throw 2 of 2	20-28
4:43	+2	Derrick Walker makes two point layup	22-28
4:22	+2	Coleman Hawkins makes two point layup	22-30
4:04	+3	Jamarques Lawrence makes three point jump shot (C.J. Wilcher assists)	25-30
3:48		Jayden Epps misses three point jump shot
3:46		Cornhuskers defensive rebound
3:46		TV timeout
3:34	+2	C.J. Wilcher makes two point layup (Derrick Walker assists)	27-30
3:06		Matthew Mayer misses three point jump shot
3:04		Fighting Illini offensive rebound
3:05		Jamarques Lawrence personal foul
3:05	+1	Terrence Shannon Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2	27-31
3:05		Terrence Shannon Jr. misses regular free throw 2 of 2
3:05		C.J. Wilcher defensive rebound
2:51	+2	Keisei Tominaga makes two point layup (Derrick Walker assists)	29-31
2:30		Terrence Shannon Jr. misses three point jump shot
2:28		Derrick Walker defensive rebound
2:11		Derrick Walker turnover (bad pass) (Terrence Shannon Jr. steals)
2:05		C.J. Wilcher personal foul (Coleman Hawkins draws the foul)
2:05	+1	Coleman Hawkins makes regular free throw 1 of 2	29-32
2:05	+1	Coleman Hawkins makes regular free throw 2 of 2	29-33
1:47		Dain Dainja personal foul (Denim Dawson draws the foul)
1:47	+1	Denim Dawson makes regular free throw 1 of 2	30-33
1:47	+1	Denim Dawson makes regular free throw 2 of 2	31-33
1:31	+3	Matthew Mayer makes three point jump shot	31-36
1:11	+3	C.J. Wilcher makes three point jump shot	34-36
0:49		Coleman Hawkins misses three point jump shot
0:47		Fighting Illini offensive rebound
0:47		Sam Griesel personal foul (Matthew Mayer draws the foul)
0:47	+1	Matthew Mayer makes regular free throw 1 of 2	34-37
0:47	+1	Matthew Mayer makes regular free throw 2 of 2	34-38
0:40	+3	Keisei Tominaga makes three point jump shot (Derrick Walker assists)	37-38
0:24		Coleman Hawkins misses two point hook shot
0:22		Sam Hoiberg defensive rebound
0:17		Sam Hoiberg turnover (out of bounds)
0:06		Terrence Shannon Jr. misses three point jump shot
0:04		Denim Dawson defensive rebound
0:00		End of period

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Illinois pulls away midway through 2nd, beats Nebraska 72-56

1st Half
NEB
Cornhuskers
37
ILL
Fighting Illini
38

Illinois pulls away midway through 2nd, beats Nebraska 72-56

1st Half NEBCornhuskers37ILLFighting Illini38

1st Half
NEB
Cornhuskers
37
ILL
Fighting Illini
38