Illinois Fighting Illini vs Indiana Hoosiers Match Player Stats On Feb 18, 2023

Jalen Hood-Schifino made two free throws with 30.7 seconds left to lift No. 14 Indiana to a 71-68 win over Illinois on Saturday in Bloomington, Ind.

Trayce Jackson-Davis made it a three-point game when he dunked with 6.7 seconds left, capping a 26-point, 12-rebound performance.

The Fighting Illini had a chance to force overtime, but RJ Melendez missed a wide-open 3-pointer from the right wing as time expired.

Hood-Schifino finished with 13 points for the Hoosiers (19-8, 10-6 Big Ten), while Miller Kopp scored 12 and Race Thompson added 10 points. Indiana made just 43.9 percent from the field but scored 18 points off 15 offensive rebounds.

Matthew Mayer scored 24 points, just two off his career high, to lead Illinois (17-9, 8-7). Jayden Epps added 12 but missed a foul shot with 16.7 seconds remaining and the Illini trailing by two points. Dain Dainja finished with 11 points.

Illinois struggled to make shots in the second half, hitting only 9 of 26 from the field and missing on all eight of its 3-point attempts. It nearly won because of a 16-7 advantage in points off turnovers and 12 of 16 foul shooting in the second half.

The pregame storyline concerned Illinois' leading scorer, Terrence Shannon Jr., who sustained a concussion during Tuesday night's 93-81 loss at Penn State. Shannon, who averages 17.0 points per game, did not play on Saturday.

But the Illini figured out a way to compete without him, thanks largely to Mayer. He canned four 3-pointers and scored 16 points in the first half, enabling them to keep Indiana and a sellout crowd at bay.

Jackson-Davis produced 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting but also committed three turnovers. The Hoosiers had eight turnovers that Illinois converted into eight points, helping them take a 38-35 lead into halftime.

The Illini made just 42.9 percent from the field but were 6 of 12 from the 3-point line while Indiana made 2 of 6.

--Field Level Media