No. 4, Illinois, got off to a great start in his top five victory over Michigan, holding a 41-37 lead in the break against Ohio State’s No. 7 in Columbus, Ohio.
Sporting a protective mask for the facial injury that cost him three games, playmaker Ayo Dosunmu, star of Illinois, managed to hit the ground in all five attempts in the first half and is tied at the top of the team with 11 points. Fighting Illini also had a great boost from Andre Curbelo off the bench, with 11 points, three rebounds, four assists and a steal at halftime.
The state of Ohio managed to hit enough shots to stop the game, but Illinois did a good job of making life difficult for the Buckeyes on the offensive side of the court. From chasing snipers off the 3-point line to contesting the kind of glances that normally drive the Ohio state’s attack, Illinois has so far done a much better job at the defensive end of the court than at the first meeting this year.
We’ll see if the state of Ohio can start making some stops in the second half, but if Illinois continues its dominance around the edge and with a 64.3% field goal percentage, it looks like Illini Fighting will take a big step towards guarantee a No. 1 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
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