Rutgers Basketball starts slow, falls to No. 16 Illinois 81-55
Rutgers dug itself into an early hole and was unable to recover, falling to No. 16 Illinois 81-55 at the State Farm Center.
[On3 Deal: Get The Knight Report right now for just $1]
[On3 App: Get Rutgers push notifications from The Knight Report]
THE FIGHTING ILLINI COME OUT SWINGING
It is hard to imagine a much worse first half than what Rutgers (8-8, 1-4 Big Ten) showed in Champaign, as it was held scoreless for the final 8:11, and Illinois used a 20-0 run to open up a 43-16 lead heading into halftime.
Despite showing some more life in the second half, the damage was already done, and Illinois (12-3, 3-1 Big Ten) cruised to its third straight win.
The Scarlet Knights finished the game shooting 37 percent (23-for-63), led by Kaden Powers with 12 points, 10 of which came in the second half. Harun Zrno added 11 points and five rebounds, while Darren Buchanan Jr. had nine points and four rebounds.
Illinois had four players record double figures, as Keaton Wagler led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds. Tomislav Ivisic contributed 14 points and four rebounds, while Andrej Stojakovic tallied 12 points and eight rebounds. Jake Davis had 12 points and three rebounds.
The Fighting Illini shot 44 percent (26-for-59) from the field and out-rebounded the Scarlet Knights 45-32.
A BRUTAL FIRST HALF
The Scarlet Knights made just six shots in the opening 20 minutes and went 21 percent (6-for-23) from the field, and 2-for-13 from three. They were also nearly doubled up on the boards as Illinois out-rebounded them 28-15.
Buchanan led the way for Rutgers with five points, including the team’s last make of the half that cut it to a 23-16 game.
Illinois shot 47 percent (16-for-34), led by Davis with 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting. Wagler added 10 points.
Rutgers was held to single digits through the first 10 minutes of the game.
RHOOPS PLAY OF THE DAY
UP NEXT
Rutgers will return to action when it returns home to face Northwestern on Sunday at 5 p.m. (ET) on Peacock.
💬 Wondering what other Rutgers fans are saying?
Head to The Round Table and jump into the discussion →
