The No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini defeated Indiana 75-71 in overtime on Tuesday evening in Bloomington, Indiana.
Sophomore Kofi Cockburn paced the Illini with a double-double of 16 points and a team-high 10 rebounds. He leads the NCAA with 12 double-doubles this season. Senior Trent Frazier added a game-high-tying 19 points. Freshman Andre Curbelo (12 points) and junior Ayo Dosunmu (10 points) also contributed double-digit scoring efforts.
The game stayed close throughout with no team leading by more than seven points the whole game. The free throw line was a critical aspect with a combined 66 free throw attempts between the two teams. Illinois made a season-high 24 free throws.
The Illini defense had a pair of long stretches in the second half which they did not allow the Hoosiers to score a field goal, one for 6:28 and the other lasting 5:54. Illinois was able to force 15 Indiana turnovers in the game.
The first half featured runs for each team. With the Illini leading 17-15 and 12:17 remaining in the half, the Hoosiers went on a 7-0 run over 3:25 to grab a 22-17 lead. Illinois responded shortly after with an 8-0 run over a span of 1:55 to take a 27-24 lead.
Entering halftime, Indiana held a 41-34 lead. The Illini chipped away at that lead early in the second half before both teams went back and forth ultimately resulting in overtime. Illinois outscored Indiana 7-3 in the overtime period.
It is the fifth time in 87 meetings at Indiana that the teams headed to overtime. Illinois improved to 2-3 in those five contests, with their other win coming on Jan. 8, 1949. The Orange and Blue also snapped a seven-game losing streak in Bloomington, securing their first victory since Jan. 9, 2010.
UP NEXT
Illinois returns to the State Farm Center to take on Wisconsin on Saturday, Feb. 6. Tip-off is set for 1:30 pm CT on FOX.
No. 12 Illinois 75, Indiana 71, OT
ILLINOIS (12-5)
Cockburn 7-15 2-2 16, Dosunmu 2-11 6-6 10, Frazier 5-11 5-7 19, Miller 1-6 1-2 4, Grandison 2/3 0-0 5, Williams 0-0 4-6 4, Curbelo 3-6 6-9 12, Bezhanishvili 2-5 0-0 5. Totals 22-57 24-32 75.
INDIANA (9-8)
Jackson-Davis 6-18 7-10 19, Thompson 6-9 6-12 18, Durham 2-6 7-8 13, Franklin 4-9 3-4 11, Phinisee 0-2 0-0 0, Galloway 1/3 0-0 2, Lander 2-5 0-0 6, Geronimo 1-1 0-0 2, Leal 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-54 23-34 71.
Halftime–Indiana 41-34. 3-Point Goals–Illinois 7-19 (Frazier 4-9, Bezhanishvili 1-1, Grandison 1-2, Miller 1-6, Dosunmu 0-1), Indiana 4-8 (Durham 2-2, Lander 2-4, Franklin 0-1, Leal 0-1). Fouled Out–Dosunmu, Bezhanishvili, Franklin, Phinisee, Lander. Rebounds–Illinois 35 (Cockburn 10), Indiana 34 (Jackson-Davis 14). Assists–Illinois 10 (Curbelo 4), Indiana 12 (Galloway 3). Total Fouls–Illinois 26, Indiana 28.
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