CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois didn’t need a comeback effort against UIC Wednesday night. The Illini picked up a 101-61 bounce-back win over the Flames to finish out its exhibition slate.
The shorthanded Illini were without Andrej Stojakovic and Zvonimir Ivisic, who were injured in the game against Baylor. Despite two top-scoring threats on the bench, Illinois didn’t miss a beat, hitting the 100-point mark while shooting 54.4% from the floor and 15-for-38 from beyond the arc. The Illini were led by Tomislav Ivisic, who ended the game with 14 points.
From the get-go, the Illini scored at will. They started the game on a 28-6 stretch, including a 10-0 run. Illinois also went on a 14-0 run later in the half to go up by 38 points. It slowed down in the second half, but still managed to score 42 in the half.
With limited depth, it was no surprise to see most of the freshmen getting playing time. However, those freshmen did more than just play; they were the leading force for the offense. Of the seven Illini in double figures, four of them were freshmen.
Quentin Coleman scored 10, making two of his four 3-point shots. Ethan Brown and Lincoln Williams were right there with him, scoring 12 and nine points, respectively. Zavier Zens and Lucas Morillo made their presence felt as well with 10 points each.
Coleman was a clear leader on offense, adding five assists to his 10 points. He also grabbed seven boards, once again flirting with a triple-double. Brown was an aggressive scoring threat, shooting 5-for-9 from the field and 2-for-6 from beyond the arc. He finished the game as the third-leading scorer behind Tomislav Ivisic and Jake Davis, who scored 12.
The freshmen weren’t just effective on offense, but defense too. Williams finished the night with 2 steals while Coleman, Brown and Zens had one each.
Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks was also a serious threat on offense all night. Despite coming off the bench, Vaaks scored 10 and shot 40% from the field. He was an all-around threat all night too. Vaaks added five assists, three rebounds and two steals.
In the second half, UIC got more aggressive, especially around the rim. After having 12 points in the paint in the first half, the Flames racked up 28 in the second. Lucas Scroggins had eight points in the second after making just one basket in the first and was a force in the paint.
One thing that didn’t change, however, was UIC’s 3-point shooting. It made just five from deep and only two in the second half.
It also seemed like Illinois lost a little of its fire offensively. No sequence demonstrated that more than when midway through the second half, the Illini missed a 3-pointer and got two subsequent offensive rebounds and 3-point attempts, but were off on both.
Illinois was less efficient as well in the second. It shot 48.5% from the field compared to 60% in the first. The 3-point shot didn’t fall as easily, either, as the Illini made just 6-of-18 in the second after knocking down nine in the opening half.
However, the Illini’s cushion that they built up in the first half — 35 points — was enough to keep the Flames from any kind of comeback effort.
Stat Stuffers
Tomislav Ivisic: 14 points, 5-for-9 FG, three rebounds
Quentin Coleman: 10 points, five assists, seven rebounds
Ethan Brown: 12 points, 5-for-9 FG, 2-for-6 3FG
Stefan Vaaks: 10 points, five assists, three rebounds, two steals
Lucas Scroggins: 10 points, 5-for-5 FG, five rebounds
Up Next
Illinois will host FDU at home Nov. 2 to kick off its regular season. Tip-off for the season-opener is 7 p.m.