3-2-1 RECAP: A W-I-N over O-D-U; Illini Avoid Letdown Game
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The let-down game Illinois head coach Brad Underwood feared didn’t happen.
Another solid Illinois defensive effort made the 56-year-old third-year Illini coach a very happy birthday boy as Illinois cruised to a 69-55 victory over an Old Dominion team that shot just 36 percent from the field.
“I had been concerned about this game for some time (because) I know how good a coach (ODU head coach) Jeff Jones is and where his program was at last year,” Underwood said. “Combine that with two Top 5 opponents in league play, we can say what we want but there’s a different element to Big Ten basketball and an attitude I guess.”
Alan Griffin contributed a team-high 15 points off the bench in 16 minutes of action as the sophomore hit 3 of 4 from beyond 3-point range. Griffin had a plus-12 during his time on the floor as he also held the defensive responsibility of defending Old Dominion’s leading scorer Xavier Green.
“He’s an elite shooter and we’ve sat and watched practice where he’ll make 20 to 30 three-pointers in a row,” Underwood said. “He can get on a heater that is fun to watch and it also about all the things on the other end too. It’s invaluable.”
Not even flu-like symptoms can apparently contain Giorgi Bezhanishvili from being a productive member of the starting lineup. The native of Georgia had six points, six rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes.
“Giorgi is always just going to bring that energy even with the flu,” Illinois junior guard Trent Frazier said. “He’s always energetic and did a great job bringing that positivity to the game tonight even with the flu.”
Ayo Dosunmu had 14 points and was 2 of 4 from 3-point range as the Illini (8-3), which came into this contest shooting just 31.3 percent from beyond the arc, made 7 of 20 against an Old Dominion defense that went under screens and gave Illinois’ perimeter options a step or two defensively.
“He picked his spots great to go in transition,” Underwood said. “He saw the game tonight.”
Old Dominion (3-8) was coming to State Farm Center on a six-game losing streak and were unable to control Illinois’ transition offense as the Illini outscored ODU 26-2 on the fast break.
Illinois will have six days off before heading to St. Louis for the annual Braggin’ Rights Game against Missouri next weekend at noon.
Here are three major takeaways from this win for the Illini:
1) Alan Griffin provides a game-high 15 points off the bench
The sophomore wing found the back of the net with 3 of 4 from beyond 3-point range and provided the much-needed offensive punch off the bench to make this a 29-point lead at the six-minute mark of the second half.
Griffin was held scoreless in the Maryland and Michigan games but will be needed later in the season but came in shooting just 33 percent from 3-point range but Old Dominion’s casual defense and going under screens allowed Griffin to gain some confidence heading into 2020.
2) Giorgi productive even with flu
Giorgi Bezhanishvili didn’t practice Friday and it had nothing to do with classes or finals. The 6-foot-9 sophomore forward was in bed with the flu and was questionable to even play the following day against a bottom-tier Conference USA opponent. However, Bezhanishvili made his 11th consecutive start and provided six points, four rebounds and four assists along with a plus-21 in 22 minutes despite being under the weather.
“Adrenaline is a wonderful thing,” Underwood said. “He does so many things to affect the game without needing to score or even have the basketball all the time.”
Bezhanishvili has easily been Illinois’ best post-entry passer to Kofi Cockburn, who had 11 points and nine rebounds (one rebound shy of breaking the Illini freshman record for double-double games) and was a major reason ODU had only 10 points in the paint.
3) Da’Monte Williams with another impressive defensive night
Once again, the junior from Peoria was given the toughest defensive assignment and Old Dominion leading scorer Xavier Green finished with just 13 points on 5 of 12 shooting with six turnovers. Underwood has made it clear that Williams is now in the starting lineup to defend and in the last three games, neither Maryland, Michigan and Old Dominion have cracked the 40-percent mark in any of the last halves of basketball.