CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois played like a desperate team. Ohio State performed like a team that hadn’t been on the road since November. Forcing turnover after turnover from the normally sure-handed Buckeyes, the 11th-ranked Fighting Illini led wire-to-wire Saturday, notching a 74-55 Big Ten Conference rout at Assembly Hall. Coming off a 68-61 upset loss Wednesday night at Purdue, Illinois (14-2, 1-1) dictated with defense and its ability to get to the rim whenever it wanted to against a normally stingy opponent. Brandon Paul paced the Illini with 19 points, while center Nnanna Egwu chipped in 16 points, far above his per-game average. Tracy Abrams added 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in a solid all-around performance and Joseph Bertrand came off the bench to score 12 points. “I thought our toughness and togetherness was exceptional,” Illinois coach John Groce said. “I knew we were going to learn a lot about our guys after we lost Wednesday night. The way we practiced the last two days was really good. “Practices were physically…
Continue Reading: Defense carries Illinois to 74-55 win over Ohio State (The SportsXchange)
