FINAL - No. 5 Illinois 65, Northwestern 59 - Kofi 17 pts, 10 rebs; Ayo with 8 Points in Final 4 Minutes

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Good evening as No. 6 Illinois (14-5, 10-3) host Northwestern (6-12, 3-11) for a Tuesday night matchup.

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Game 20: Northwestern at No. 5 Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021: 8 p.m. CST, State Farm Center (Champaign, Ill.)

Capacity: N/A (NO FANS!)

Records: Illinois 14-5, 10-3 in Big Ten Conference; 21–10, 13–7 in Big Ten Conference in 2019-20 season. Northwestern 6-12, 3-11 in Big Ten Conference; 13-19, 4-16 in Big Ten Conference in 2018-19.

Line: Illinois by 12

Series notes: Illinois leads the all-time series, 138-42. The previous five matchups between the two schools have been decided by an average of four points.

TV: BTN; – Brandon Gaudin (Play-by-Play), Robbie Hummel (Analyst)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Trent Meachem (analyst).

Projected Starters:

Illinois

Ayo Dosunmu - G

Trent Frazier - G

Adam Miller - G

Jacob Grandison - F

Kofi Cockburn - C

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Northwestern

Chase Audige - G

Anthony Gaines - G

Miller Kopp - F

Pete Nance - F

Ryan Young - F

PRE-GAME NOTES:

Illinois owns a combined 10 victories in Quads 1 and 2, tied for third-most in the NCAA. Illinois’ six Quad 1 wins, meanwhile, is also tied for third nationally.

Illinois checks in at No. 5 in this week’s AP rankings. It is the first time the Illini appear in the Top 5 of a February poll since 2005, and just the fourth time in the last 65 seasons (1989, 2001 and 2005).

Illinois’ 10-3 conference record is its best through 13 games since the 2005 Big Ten championship team started 13-0 en route to a 15-1 league record. Over the last two Big Ten seasons, Illinois has the best win percentage (.697) and is tied for the most wins (23).

Leading the Illini is Ayo Dosunmu. Owning numbers of 21.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, Dosunmu is solidifying his candidacy for First-Team All-America status and has moved into the National Player of the Year conversation.

He is the only player in the NCAA over the last 11 seasons to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, all while leading Illinois Basketball back among the nation’s elite.

Dosunmu is on pace to become just the second Big Ten player since 1993 to average 20 points, six rebounds and five assists, joining Ohio State’s Evan Turner, the National Player of the Year in 2009-10.

Kofi Cockburn ranks second in the NCAA with 14 double-doubles this season. He has posted double-doubles in 11 of 13 Big Ten games, averaging 18.9 points and 11.4 rebounds during league play.

At 17.4 ppg and 10.6 rpg overall, Cockburn is one of just three players from the high-major conferences currently averaging a double-double. He is on pace to become the first Illini player since Nick Weatherspoon in 1973 (25.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg) to average a double-double for an entire season.

Cockburn is one of seven players nationally averaging at least 17 points and 10 rebounds, and he is the only player in the NCAA averaging 15+ points and 10+ boards while shooting at least 65%.

Trent Frazier has seen his scoring increase recently, averaging 14.8 points (74) while making an average of 2.8 treys per contest (14) over the last five games.

NORTHWESTERN TIMEOUT - 16:46 left in 1st - No. 5 Illinois 14, Northwestern 3 - Illini passing has been crisp (six assists on six FGs with no turnovers) and Illinois has made 6 of 7 from the field.

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 14:39 left in 1st - No. 5 Illinois 17, Northwestern 7 - Illini has hit all three three-point shots and they've all been WIDE OPEN. Northwestern has really taken a step back defensively in the last two seasons. Adam Miller hits a three from the wing and he's starting to build confidence on both ends.

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 14:39 left in 1st - No. 5 Illinois 23, Northwestern 7 - Northwestern has gone nearly four minutes without scoring and with the way they haven't defended Illinois at all yet tonight, a scoring drought is a really bad strategy.

Kofi Cockburn just picked up foul number two and will likely be sitting next to Underwood for a long time in this first half.

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 7:34 left in 1st - No. 5 Illinois 25, Northwestern 9 - Illinois hasn't scored in three minutes but still lead by 16 because Northwestern can't get an uncontested look on the other end (4 of 17 from the field).

Adam Miller with seven early points and Jacob Grandison with a stat-stuffing evening (five points, two assists and two rebounds).

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 3:51 left in 1st - No. 5 Illinois 33, Northwestern 17 - You would think Brad Underwood would be pleased with a 16-point lead. You would be wrong. Curbelo commits a bad turnover and Underwood turns to his walk-on son and asks "What are we doing out there?"

Tyler Underwood's answer: "I don't know."

HALFTIME: No. 5 Illinois 38, Northwestern 26 - Just an incredibly sloppy and concerning end to this first half for the Illini as turnovers and lack of rebounding intensity allows Northwestern to crawl back to a reasonable deficit following 20 minutes.

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 3:51 left in 1st - No. 5 Illinois 42, Northwestern 35 - Northwestern has made this a game after making 3 of 4 from three-point range. Illinois is 2 of 8 from the field to start this second half after blowing a big lead at the end of first half.

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 12:35 left - No. 5 Illinois 49, Northwestern 42: Kofi Cockburn, who had to sit all but five minutes of the first half, has 12 points and six rebounds tonight.

Northwestern, which was 0 for 10 from three-point range in first half, has made four of its last six attempts.

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 7:51 left - No. 5 Illinois 56, Northwestern 48: Northwestern bigs are in foul trouble as Beran fouls out with 7:51 left. Giorgi with 10 points and a lot of positive, productive (key word here) energy for the Illini tonight.

MEDIA TIMEOUT - 4:00 left - No. 5 Illinois 62, Northwestern 59 - Following an 11-0 run by Northwestern, Ayo Dosunmu drains a jumper off the dribble. It's about that time folks for No. 11 to take the Illini home.

FINAL - No. 5 Illinois 65, Northwestern 59 - Kofi 17 pts, 10 rebs; Ayo with 8 Points in Final 4 Minutes - Ayo Dosunmu bails out Illini from a potential upset against a team near the bottom of the Big Ten standings. Illini with 19 key points tonight including 10 from Giorgi. Illinois rolls to 15-5 and 11-3 in Big Ten play.