Illinois Basketball: Takeaways from tough loss to No. 2 Baylor Bears
The Baylor Bears secured a victory against Illinois basketball in the Jimmy V Classic behind a second-half offensive surge and stifling defense.
No.5 Illinois basketball (3-1) took on the No.2 Baylor Bears (3-0) Wednesday night in what was a highly anticipated Jimmy V Classic matchup.
The guard play for both teams has been a strength. The trio of Adam Miller, Ayo Dosunmu, and Trent Frazier vs Baylor’s Jared Butler, MaCio Teague, and Davion Mitchell was going to be a battle worth watching.
Both Scott Drew of Baylor and Illinois’ Brad Underwood have done a great job of transforming these programs into AP poll powers.
To start the game both teams prioritized the post and were able to force turnovers early on which kept the game close. Butler had eight of the Bears 15 points with 11 minutes left in the first half.
When Kofi Cockburn was on the bench, Giorgi Bezhanishvili made his presence felt on the boards and scoring in the post. He set a screen for an Adam Miller that set up a left corner midrange shot that hit the bottom of the net.
The Fighting Illini were down by one, 18-17, with that basket. Miller tied the game up at 21 with a nice midrange jumper under eight minutes to go in the first half.
Bezhanishvili led the Fighting Illini in scoring with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting and three rebounds to end the first half. Butler was the high point man for the Bears with 10 points. Adam Flagler led the Bears bench with seven points and three rebounds.
The Bears went into halftime with a 31-30 lead behind the play of their guards. They struggled to stop the Fighting Illini in the post.
In the second half, Bears clamped down defensively and that led to their offense flourishing from the perimeter. Presbyterian transfer guard Adam Flagler led the Bears with 18 points, three rebounds, and three assists. The former Big South Freshman of the Year proved he belonged on a big stage Wednesday night.
Baylor passed their first test with an 82-69 win. Dosunmu scored 18 points to lead the Fighting Illini but it was a rough game for him from the field. Bezhanishvili and Andre Curbelo combined for 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the loss.
Major props need to be given to Holly Rowe for taking over the commentary duties when there were technical difficulties twice during the broadcast.
No Cockburn, no problem in the first half
Bezhanishvili has been slotted as a backup to Cockburn, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year last season. Cockburn is averaging 15 points and 12 rebounds per game early and will be a big man to watch once again.
Bezhanishvili filled in nicely for Cockburn and it’s a testament to the junior’s talent and
aggressiveness on the boards. He hit a nice bank shot to his surprise and excitement which gave him 15 points. He had as many points in the first three games altogether.
The 6-foot-9, 245 pounder averaged seven points and five rebounds last season and has shown good developmental progress in a pivotal game for the Fighting Illini.
Baylor was able to neutralize Dosunmu and Cockburn late in the second half
Coming into this ranked matchup, Dosunmu scored 20 points in all three games and struggled against the Bears. Midway through the second half, he was shooting 3-for-11 from the field.
It was expected that Baylor was going to make it a priority to take him out of the game. They did a great job of staying on top of him once he got the ball and putting hands up once he took shots.
All they had to do with Cockburn was get him and foul trouble and they were able to do that. He had to sit out again with four fouls leaving Bezhanishvili on the floor while the Bears feasted on the Fighting Illini defensively.
Baylor sealed the deal with a second-half surge.
The Bears broke this game wide open at the 8:20 mark when Davion Mitchell drained a three-pointer to give the Bears a 61-51 lead.
Illinois couldn’t handle Baylor down the stretch with all of the momentum they had on their side. The Fighting Illini weren’t able to get Dosunmu going the way they wanted to and that was a major benefit for the Bears.
Butler, Mitchell, Teague, and Flagler all scored in double figures. Each of them was able to get good looks inside. Mitchell and Flagler were the main guys who showed the touch from the perimeter that ultimately secured a victory.
dark. Next. Takeaways from 2020 Jimmy V Classic
It doesn’t get any easier for Illinois basketball. They will play the UT Martin Skyhawks (0-0) Saturday, Dec. 5, before they face the ninth-ranked Duke Blue Devils (1-1) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the Missouri Tigers (2-0) next week.
The Baylor Bears will have another top-five matchup Saturday against the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs (3-0) who beat the No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers (3-1), 87-82.