3-2-1 RECAP: Shooting Touch & Pressure 'D' Result in Illini's 95-64 Win

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Everything feels and looks better on a basketball court if you’re making shots and active on defense.

This was the story for Illinois’ comfortable 95-64 victory over an underwhelming North Carolina A&T program Sunday in the non-conference regular-season finale.

Illinois (9-4), which came in shooting 30.5 percent from the 3-point range, made 11 of 26 from beyond the line Sunday and played a more active form of half-court defense by causing 18 turnovers that resulted in 28 points.

“We turned down some good shots today to take some great ones,” Illinois third-year head coach Brad Underwood said. “We’re not a selfish team but when we get in trouble with not having enough assists, it’s about guys trying to do too much themselves.”

Underwood said earlier in the week that he’d have to be the one to “light the fire” on this team and that was evident from the opening tip. Underwood was calling out defensive switches and offensive sets for a tentative Illini squad, who hadn’t played in a week since the Braggin’ Rights Game loss in St. Louis.

It was a big day for Ayo Dosunmu as the sophomore from Chicago had 19 points in 26 minutes and the 28.6 percent 3-point shooter even managed to nail a couple shots from long distance in rhythm. Kofi Cockburn led all scorers as the freshman had 26 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes where he was clearly again the most physically dominant presence in the paint.

Illinois will now go back on the road as they rejoin Big Ten Conference play on Jan. 2 against No. 14 Michigan State (9-3, 2-0) in East Lansing.

Here are three major takeaways from this win for the Illini:

1) Illinois found some perimeter shots in rhythm when the ball didn’t stick

Despite coming into this contest shooting barely 30 percent from beyond the 3-point line, Illinois found the bottom of the net on perimeter shots from every perimeter player who checked into the game. Andres Feliz, who was held scoreless in the Braggin’ Rights Game, had a 3-pointer and Da’Monte Williams (who hadn’t made a 3-pointer this season against a Division I opponent) made his first two attempts Sunday.

"One of the great benefits of Christmas break is no school and no limits in the amount our guys can work,” Underwood said. “Our guys really take a professional mentality. The 20-hour rule goes by the wayside and our guys can come in and get in a ton of shots. That was evident that our offensive flow was better.”

Illinois will need to continue to find more success and in order to do that, Underwood will likely continue to press with this team that zone defenses will require constant ball movement to either get an open look or a seal at the block from Cockburn.

"One game (Alan Griffin and myself) in, I think, the Hawaii game were like combined 2 for 12 (from 3-point) and we both said to each other ‘those are going to go in’,” Dosunmu said Sunday. “We get 500 to 600 makes per day. At the end of the day, when the shots aren’t going in, it’s all about keep believing.”

2) A very active defensive performance for the Illini

The problem against Missouri wasn’t the Illini’s first-shot defense and they continued to be a suffocating defense against North Carolina A&T. The Illini allowed A&T (3-11) to make just 2 of 8 lay-up attempts and the visitors were just 2 of 7 from 3-point range in the second half. A&T, which was obviously at a significant size advantage, had only six offensive rebounds on 28 shot misses Sunday. Illinois created 18 turnovers that resulted in 28 points with 13 of them coming on fast break opportunities.

3) Alan Griffin continues to impress off the Illini bench

Griffin continues to be the offensive sparkplug Illinois needs off the bench as the sophomore connected on 7 of 8 field goals and 4 of 5 from 3-point range for 18 points. Griffin had 16 of those points in a less-than-consequential second half but is proving to be the ying to Da’Monte Williams’ defensive elite play yang on the other end at the three spot of this Illini lineup.

Add us as a preferred source on Google