game player
Mores Johnson Jr. of Center, Illinois
Johnson’s first double-double of his college career came at the perfect time for the University of Illinois, which relied on 10 points and 13 rebounds to lead to a 47-point victory over Maryland Eastern Shore at State Farm Center. did. Although Johnson wasn’t Illinois’ leading scorer, Will Riley had 19 points, he was the team’s top rebounder, topping Tre White’s 11 rebounds. Eight of Johnson’s boards came on the defensive end, and the freshman contributed to the win with an assist and a block.
back coat
Illinois: A
Maryland-Eastern Shore: D
All of Riley’s offensive production came in the second half, with the freshman scoring total points in every minute he was on the floor. Kylan Boswell scored 13 points of his own, but UMES was unable to sustain offensive success throughout the game. That was a credit to Illinois’ defense, which held the Hawks to 15-for-68 from the field and 1-for-12 from beyond the arc in the first half. UMES’ leading scorer, Jalen Ware, was held to 10 points on 4-13 shooting from the field.
front coat
Illinois: A
Maryland-Eastern Shore: D
Johnson and White gave Illinois a 59-38 rebounding advantage, with 40 of Illinois’ boards hitting the defensive glass. Also, rookie Tomislav Ibisic, who is 7-1, played well alongside Johnson and White, scoring 11 points, including a make from beyond the 3-point line.
bench
Illinois: A
Maryland-Eastern Shore: D
Ten of Illinois’ 12 players scored on Saturday afternoon, with Riley leading all scorers in his 19 minutes off the bench. The Hawks’ bench was largely unaffected, with only Hassan Perkins, Kyrell Shaw and Ralph Martino Jr. contributing bench points from the Hawks’ 10-man rotation.
whole
Illinois: A
Maryland-Eastern Shore: D
In the end, the University of Illinois did exactly what it needed to do, trying to put a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama in its rearview mirror on Nov. 20. There are many positives for the Illini heading into Monday’s meeting with Little Rock at State Farm Center starting at 8 p.m.
