Illini Now LIVE BLOG: FINAL - No. 21 Illinois 79, Purdue 62
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Welcome to Indiana where Illinois (13-5, 5-2 in Big Ten Conference) will play at Purdue (10-8, 3-4).
I'm LOOKING LIVE...at the Mackey Arena floor in West Lafayette, 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.
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Game 19: No. 21 Illinois at Purdue
Date/Time/Place: Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2020: 6 p.m. CST, Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Indiana
Capacity: 14,804
Records: Illinois 13-5, 5-2 in Big Ten; 12-21, 7-13 in Big Ten Conference in 2018-19. Purdue 10-8, 3-4 in Big Ten; 26-10, 16-4 in Big Ten Conference in 2018-19.
Line: Purdue by 6
Series notes: Purdue owns a 102-88 series advantage with Illinois, including a 17-8 record under Matt Painter. The Illini won 63-37 in the previous meeting between the two teams, just 16 days ago in Champaign. Illinois' win snapped a four-game winning streak for Purdue in the series. The Illini are also looking to snap a seven-game skid in West Lafayette spanning 11-plus years. Illinois’ last victory at Mackey Arena was a 71-67 overtime win in the opener of the 2008-2009 season (Dec. 30, 2008). Purdue-Illinois is of the most competitive series in Purdue school history, as Purdue has outscored the Illini by just 44 points over the 190 games (0.23 points per game).
TV: ESPNU - Dave Flemming (PBP), Dan Dakich (analyst), Molly McGrath (Sideline)
Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Deon Thomas (analyst) - The broadcast can be heard live on TuneIn online radio, Sirius/XM 385 and at FightingIllini.com.
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As we wait for the opening tip, please look over the 'Illini Now' Three In The Key Preview and Prediction where yes, I predict Purdue's Mackey Arena Big Ten winning streak ends.
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UNIFORM UPDATE: Illinois appears to be going with the all orange uniforms tonight. The Illini are 3-1 this season in all orange. It appears Purdue is going with the traditional home jerseys.
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NOTE: Illinois going with the traditional lineup of Frazier, Ayo, Williams, Giorgi and Kofi. Purdue going with the twin towers lineup of Haarms and Williams.
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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 15:59 left in 1st - No. 21 Illinois 10, Purdue 5 - Great early matchup in the post between Kofi Cockburn and Trevion Williams. Giorgi picks up his second foul against Haarms so it'll be a lot of Kipper Nichols and a 4-guard lineup in this first half.
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NOTE: Alan Griffin just stepped on Stefanovic while he was on the ground. In my opinion, that's a technical foul but the refs are looking at it now.
Griffin has been EJECTED from this game after stepping on Sasha Stefanovic while he was on the ground.
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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 7:55 left in 1st - No. 21 Illinois 19, Purdue 16 - Illinois already has eight offensive rebounds and Trent Frazier is 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Purdue is being led by a combined 13 points from Williams and Stefanovic.
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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 3:44 left in 1st - Purdue 25, No. 21 Illinois 24 - Underwood has, so far, bought nearly the entire first half without Giorgi. Illinois has nine turnovers today and nearly everything Purdue is getting is in the paint (1 of 1 from 3-point range.
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PURDUE TIMEOUT - 40.4 left in 1st - No. 21 Illinois 29, Purdue 27 - Illinois' cure for a scoring drought? Give Kofi the ball in the post. Cockburn responds with a 3-point play to give him nine and nine this half.
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HALFTIME - Purdue 30, No. 21 Illinois 29 - Purdue responds with a 3-pointer by Eric Hunter Jr. to retake the lead. Boilermakers are 2 of 2 from 3-point range.
ANALYSIS: Underwood was able to buy his way out of the entire final 16 minutes of the first half without Giorgi Bezhanishvili. Illinois center Kofi Cockburn has nine points and nine rebounds in 16 minutes tonight. Purdue is 7 of 18 on 2-point field goal attempts and seemed to calm down after Alan Griffin was ejected.
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PURDUE TIMEOUT - 17:35 left - No. 21 Illinois 37, Purdue 30 - Illinois opens the second half on a 8-0 run and Painter has no choice but to stop the visitors' momentum. Cockburn has a double-double (12 points and 11 rebounds) already.
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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 15:24 left - No. 21 Illinois 42, Purdue 37 - Trent Frazier is 4 of 5 from 3-point range tonight (came in shooting 34 percent) and Cockburn has 14 and 11. Haarms 3-pointer keeps Purdue within shouting distance.
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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 10:24 left - No. 21 Illinois 55, Purdue 43 - Illinois is 9 of 10 from the field in this half and has 15 assists on 21 total baskets. Purdue is 1 of 4 from 3-point range and Stefanovic is scoreless in this second half.
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MEDIA TIMEOUT - 7:26 left - No. 21 Illinois 60, Purdue 47 - Ayo Dosunmu has a career-high 11 assists to go with 12 points tonight. Illini have made nine straight field goal attempts to stretch this lead.
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ILLINI TIMEOUT - 4:39 left - No. 21 Illinois 60, Purdue 51 - A 6-0 run and three-minute scoring drought for the Illini forces Underwood to call a timeout. Purdue has three players in double figures.
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