Live Blog: FINAL - No. 9 Maryland 75, No. 20 Illinois 66

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Welcome to the State Farm Center where No. 20 Illinois (16-6, 8-3 in Big Ten Conference) will host No. 9 Maryland (18-4, 8-3).

I'm LOOKING LIVE...at the State Farm Center floor in Champaign, Ill., as we're about an hour from the opening tip.

NOTE: Please join us as we live-blog and discuss the Illini exhibition game here in our weekly Illini Gameday Open Thread. Dive into the conversation — it's easy — by simply going to the top right of the redesigned site and click the follow button.

You can log in with Facebook or Google and either way, it's free. That's right...IT'S FREE. From there, sound off in the comment section and share your reactions and observations with our staff and fellow members of the Illini Now/Sports Illustrated community as we keep you up to date of the game in real-time.

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Game 23: No. 9 Maryland at No. 20 Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Friday, Feb. 7, 2020: 7 p.m. CST, State Farm Center, Champaign, Ill.

Capacity: 15,544

Records: Illinois 16-6, 8-3 in Big Ten; 12-21, 7-13 in Big Ten Conference in 2018-19. Maryland 18-4, 8-3 in Big Ten; 23-11, 13-7 in Big Ten Conference in 2018-19.

Line: Illinois by 3

Series notes: Maryland leads the all-time series 10-6 and have won three of four in Champaign. Tonight’s meeting is a first-place showdown, with the Illini and Terrapins entering the game tied atop the conference standings at 8-3. This is the latest in a season that Illinois has been in first since Feb. 13, 2010. Illinois will play in front of a sellout crowd for the second straight home game. Four of the five remaining games at State Farm Center are sold out, with the Feb. 24 Nebraska contest the only date left with tickets still available. Maryland is 25-25 on the road since joining the Big Ten, including an 18-14 mark since 2016-17. The Terps have finished with a winning conference road record in three of five years since joining the Big Ten.

TV: FS1 - Dave Revsine (PBP), Stephen Bardo (analyst)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Deon Thomas (analyst) - The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, Sirius/XM 83 and at FightingIllini.com.

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While we wait for pre-game updates, here's a look at the three keys and Matthew Stevens' prediction for tonight's game.

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Two Key Numbers For Tonight's Game:

45 - Illinois is 11-2 this season when they shoot 45 percent or better from the field in a game.

3 - Maryland is 17-2 this season when All-Big Ten selection point guard Anthony Cowan commits three turnovers or less in a game.

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NOTE: I can guarantee a full Orange Krush student section tonight. Students have been wrapped around the building hours before they let folks into the State Farm Center.

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Uniform Update: Illinois going with the white throwback jerseys tonight. Illini are 3-1 in those uniforms this season with the only loss being to Miami (Fla.) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game. Maryland is going with all red.

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NOTE: ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt has arrived at State Farm Center and is currently talking and taking pictures with the Orange Krush student section.

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NOTE: Illinois 4-star verbal commit Adam Miller is in attendance tonight. Miller committed to the 2020 Illini recruiting class on Nov. 21 in Chicago.

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NOTE: Illinois football coach Lovie Smith has arrived tonight to watch the game. Not his first game in attendance but maybe the most important one of his tenure.

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NOTE: Illinois going with the same lineup of Trent, Ayo, Da'Monte, Giorgi and Kofi.

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NOTE: Your officials tonight: Terry Wymer, Paul Szelc and Kelly Pfeifer.

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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 15:10 left in 1st - No. 20 Illinois 17, No. 9 Maryland 7 - What didn't happen in those first five minutes? Da'Monte Williams hit two jumpers. Mark Turgeon got a technical and Illini start out with five points off Maryland turnovers.

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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 11:11 left in 1st - No. 20 Illinois 28, No. 9 Maryland 15 - Maryland assistant/director of basketball operations Mark Bialkoski just got a technical for screaming that Giorgi was hooking his defender with his arms on Feliz's drives. Illinois is 5 of 8 from 3-point range.

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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 6:40 left in 1st - No. 20 Illinois 33, No. 9 Maryland 21 - I want to call Illinois' last basket a dunk but that doesn't do it justice. Kofi Cockburn took the ball and threw it through the rim so hard it came back up and nearly hit the rim again. Ayo and Feliz with eight each.

Giorgi has two fouls so Illini will likely have to survive the final seven minutes without him but Kipper Nichols is having a productive and aggressive early period of this game.

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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 3:43 left in 1st - No. 20 Illinois 35, No. 9 Maryland 30 - Terrapins on an 8-2 run by switching defenses and getting some easy baskets. Illini are suddenly confused and slowing down offensive ball movement after press and zone defense.

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ILLINI TIMEOUT - 37.2 left in 1st - No. 20 Illinois 35, No. 9 Maryland 30 - Maryland has carved up Illinois' defense by making six of its last seven field goal attempts and doing it now without Anthony Cowan.

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HALFTIME - No. 20 Illinois 42, No. 9 Maryland 40 - Illinois gets a putback by Nichols and Maryland hits a 3-pointer at the buzzer while Turgeon gives a fist pump and runs to the tunnel.

Analysis: Maryland shot 60.9 percent from the field but committed an uncharacteristic eight turnovers. Cowan makes so much difference when he's on the floor on both ends as he has 13 points and has guarded Trent Frazier for 17 minutes. Illinois made six 3-pointers (two from Williams) and survived early foul trouble from Frazier, Giorgi and Cockburn. Maryland, which was down by as many as 14, came back again. Maryland has come back from 14-point deficits against both Illinois and Northwestern in the second half to win this year. The Terps are the first power-5 team to achieve the feat in conference action since UCLA in the 2004-05 season.

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ILLINI TIMEOUT - 16:18 left - No. 9 Maryland 46, No. 20 Illinois 44 - Back-to-back FGs by Jalen Smith (both off assists from Cowan) and Maryland takes the lead. Illinois is 0 of 4 this half with 3 turnovers.

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NOTE: Anthony Cowan just picked up his third foul with 15:48 left. He's such a difference-maker for Maryland, the question becomes how long can Turgeon sit him?

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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 16:18 left - No. 9 Maryland 53, No. 20 Illinois 46 - Illinois has started out this half 1 of 13 from the field with the only bucket being a layup by Feliz. Dosunmu 2 of 9 tonight. Terrapins have 19 fast-break points compared to Illini's two.

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MARYLAND TIMEOUT - 8:35 left - No. 9 Maryland 53, No. 20 Illinois 52 - So...let's count the amount of things Illinois has done poorly: 9 of 18 from foul line, going over six minutes without scoring and Kofi in foul trouble, And they're only down one.

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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 7:04 left - No. 9 Maryland 59, No. 20 Illinois 55 - Morsell hits a 3-pointer after a terrible pass by Giorgi. Maryland is 11-0 when Darryl Morsell scores double figures (and he has 13 tonight).

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ILLINI TIMEOUT - 4:42 left - No. 9 Maryland 66, No. 20 Illinois 56 - Illinois doesn't have a FG in last 3:24 and Underwood is forced to stop action and get Cockburn (with four fouls) on the floor.

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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 3:27 left - No. 9 Maryland 66, No. 20 Illinois 58 - Ayo Dosunmu trying to force things offensively (4 of 14 from the field) but Maryland is just 4 of 13 from 3-pt range in this half.