So much that had eluded Illinois was found at Northwestern.
The Illini earned their first victory on the road in the Big Ten and found their shooting touch in the second half for a 68-61 triumph over their in-state rival.
It’s hard to consider these teams rivals this season given Northwestern’s attempted march to a first NCAA tournament and Illinois’ apparent route to a fourth-straight tournament miss.
But the Illini (14-11, 4-8 Big Ten) put a ding in Northwestern’s resume as the Wildcats (18-6, 7-4) dropped their second straight game without leading scorer Scottie Lindsey, who is out with illness. As fans filtered out of Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston some Illinois fans chanted their I-L-L, I-N-I cheer.
Coach John Groce on Illinois’ win over Northwestern
John Groce talks about his team’s victory over the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
John Groce talks about his team’s victory over the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
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Illinois wing Malcolm Hill, who had suffered through an 0-for-7 3-point game against Minnesota, scored all of his team-high 14 points after halftime. He didn’t make his first basket until 15 minutes, 57 seconds remained. He hit his first 3-pointer nearly a minute later as part of a 9-0 Illini run as Illinois went 6-for-8 to start the half.
The Illini fans will continue to relish Te’Jon Lucas’ increased role. The freshman point guard, who did not start until Jan. 25, showed off his court vision again with 11 points and six assists.
Illinois entered the game ranked ninth in the Big Ten with a 45.1 shooting percentage. The Illini had some rough patches against Northwestern but hit 58.3 percent of its second-half field goals, 45.3 for the game.
The Illini were just one of two Big Ten teams without a conference road victory before Tuesday’s meeting at Northwestern.
The Wildcats showed their vulnerability without Lindsey, shooting only 33.9 percent for the game. They finished on a 3:31 stretch without a field goal, turning the ball over three times in the last two minutes and missing their final four shots.
Northwestern coach Chris Collins on the loss to Illinois
Wildcats’ coach Chris Collins discusses NU’s loss to Illinois. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
Wildcats’ coach Chris Collins discusses NU’s loss to Illinois. (Paul Skrbina/Chicago Tribune)
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Bryant McIntosh led Northwestern with 21 points on 8 of 20 shooting. He scored 22 points in the previous blowout loss to Purdue. After missing his first eight shots of the game, he finished 8 of 12 shooting.
Closing out games typically has been a struggle for the Illini, who had lost six of their previous seven games.
Northwestern’s Vic Law hit a critical 3-pointer from the wing in front of his bench to provide a 59-56 lead with 3:31 left. Michael Finke was left open on the wing in front of the Illini bench a minute later to tie the game with his own 3-pointer for the Illini.
Two McIntosh free throws tied the game at 61-61 before a Lucas layup with 1:37 left provided a 63-61 lead for Illinois. After a McIntosh turnover, Finke hit a jump shot with 1:09 to play for a decisive four-point lead.
Kipper Nichols hit a free throw and Hill two to seal the game for Illinois.
The teams had split their previous 12 meetings going back to the 2009-10 season. Illinois and Northwestern meet again Feb. 21 in Champaign.
sryan@chicagotribune.com
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