Defense makes the difference in Illinois’ victory over Penn State | Content

CHAMPAIGN – Kasparas Jakucionis came off the Illinois bench and entered Lou Henson’s court before all of his teammates at each break in action in Wednesday’s game against Penn State.

Jakucionis being on the bench during all those opportunities to improve players on the court could have been a problem. The rookie guard was ruled out of Wednesday’s game about 45 minutes before kickoff with a left forearm injury. The immediate question was how Illinois would fare without him for the first time this season.

The answer? The Illini were perfectly fine without him. At least for one night.

A somewhat slow start was quickly in Illinois’ rearview mirror as a combination of Brad Underwood’s defense (limit three, strength two) and a subdued first half from Ben Humrichous gave the Illini a huge lead they wouldn’t relinquish. In fact, the lead grew into a 91-52 victory against the Nittany Lions that extended Illinois’ winning streak to five.

“It’s definitely something we had talked about this week after Washington,” Humrichous said of turning a 24-point halftime lead into a 39-point victory. A similar, though not as large, lead disappeared Sunday against the Huskies before a late comeback for victory.

“There was a big emphasis on us needing to play a full 40-minute game,” Humrichous continued. “Once we get the leadership and start moving forward, that’s something we need to move forward and continue to build that leadership.”

Humrichous scored 19 of his 21 points in the first half, shooting 5 of 9 from three-point range, matching his best effort from beyond the arc this season. Tre White and Morez Johnson Jr., who added 20 points each, further fueled the victory.

What made the difference, however, was Illinois’ defense. The Illini drove Penn State from the three-point line, and the Nittany Lions were just 2 of 12 from deep. They weren’t much better inside the arc either, shooting 34 percent on mostly difficult two-point shots.

That execution of the defensive game plan was exactly what Underwood wanted.

“We were very focused trying to take (Zach) Hicks,” Underwood said. “We knew (Nick) Kern was not a shooter. He was a guy who facilitates and leads. They are a team that is very difficult to defend because everyone on their team blocks the ball. They are number one in the country in ball screens. I thought we handled the changes and our pressure was good there.”

That same Illinois run was the last thing Nittany Lions coach Mike Rhoades wanted to see.

“They take away certain things,” Rhoades said of the Illinois defense. “They play the numbers and they really encouraged us to take two tough ones. We talk about it, but it’s easier said than done. Sometimes when you’re in the heat of battle, you lose your mind. … I thought we made some horrendous shots that led to layups, fouls and then struggling on defense.”