Field Level Media
Dec 29, 2018
Anthony Adger scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half, including a three-point play with 20 seconds left in overtime as the Florida Atlantic Owls held on to knock off the Illinois Fighting Illini in Champaign, Ill., on Saturday afternoon.
Madiaw Niang added 12 points, eight in the second half, and 14 rebounds for Florida Atlantic (9-4), which was coming off a 20-point loss at Miami against the Hurricanes on Dec. 22.
The Illini, who had two players foul out, lost their second straight game and their fourth in their last six.
Freshman Ayo Dosunmu, who came alive late in the game, scored 21 points to lead Illinois (4-9), including hitting a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Aaron Jordan added 20 points, Andres Feliz scored nine points and Kipper Nichols had eight rebounds before fouling out for Illinois.
Florida Atlantic's Richardson Maitre and Illinois' Trent Frazier each hit a pair of free throws to leave the game tied at 65 with 3:25 left in overtime.
Jordan hit two free throws to give Illinois a 67-65 lead, and then Adger and Jordan traded treys, and the Owls' Aleksandar Zecevic hit a jumper, and the game was again tied, 70-70 with 1:46 to play.
Da'Monte Williams made 1 of 2 free throws and Frazier missed two more, leaving the Illini in front 71-70 but creating the opportunity for Adger's heroics.
Neither team shot well most of the game, both well under 40 percent most of the way in a game the Illini led only 26-21 at the half, although the Owls finished at 43.9 percent overall to 31.6 percent for the Illinois.
The Owls led 55-48 on two free throws from Adger with 3:49 to play in the game, but the Illini went on a 7-2 run, with five points from Feliz, to trim the deficit to 57-55 with 1:42 left.
Adger added two free throws and then a layup to push the lead back to six at 61-55 with 1:04 left.
Frazier hit a 3-pointer with 52 seconds left, then he made a steal off a double-team and was fouled to make it 61-60.
Maitre countered with a jumper to raise the Owls' lead to 63-60 before Dosunmu's tying 3-pointer off the feed from Frazier.
--Field Level Media