>>Illinois Holds Off Indiana

 

Trent Frazier and Leron Black each scored 19 points to help Illinois squeeze out a 73-71 victory over Indiana Wednesday night.

 

The two-point victory was the team's first Big 10 Conference win of the season and the first of coach Brad Underwood's career. It also snapped the Illini's six-game losing streak.

 

Indiana jumped all over Illinois early, taking a 12-4 lead but freshman Frazier kept the Illini afloat in the first half. With just over six minutes left in the period, he reeled off 13 straight points.

 

Illinois entered the break trailing by six but made 22-of-30 free throws in the second half. The Illini outscored the Hoosiers 41-33 in the final period, highlighted by a three-pointer from Kipper Nichols.

 

Leading by three, Illinois swung the ball to Nichols for a wide open look. He buried the long jumper and the fans at State Farm Center erupted as he put the Illini ahead by two possessions.

 

That six-point lead proved to be big, as Indiana cut the lead to two with just 8.3 seconds left. But it wasn't enough. Devonte Green turned it over on Indiana's last possession.

 

Juwan Morgan scored 25 points, his seventh 20-point game of the season, and Zach McRoberts scored a season-high 10 points.

 

Illinois had four players score in double figures.

 

Illinois has nearly a week off until it faces Rutgers at home next Tuesday. The Scarlet Knights have three players averaging over 11 points per game.

 

>>Big Run Fuels Northern Iowa Past Illinois State

 

Isaiah Brown scored 20 points and Bennett Koch scored 11 of his 17 points from the foul line and Northern Iowa beat Illinois State 83-72 on Wednesday night.

Northern Iowa (11-10, 3-6 Missouri Valley Conference) led 15-14 then exploded on a 25-0 run that included six 3-pointers, including three by Brown. Illinois State went scoreless for 9½ minutes and trailed 41-19 at halftime.

 

Koch made 3 of 4 free throws for a 76-54 lead with 5:12 left before the Redbirds (10-11, 4-5) ended with an 18-7 run to make the score respectable. Illinois State shot 7 of 27 (26 percent) in the first half but turned it around after intermission on 22-of-38 (58 percent) shooting.

 

Wyatt Lohaus scored 14 for the Panthers and Juwan McClouds had career highs with nine assists and six steals. Northern Iowa has won three of its last four following a seven-game losing streak.

 

The Redbirds' Keyshawn Evans made six 3-pointers and scored 25 points. Milik Yarbrough added 20 points and tied his career high with 13 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.