PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 24 Illinois beat Rutgers 76-58 on Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both schools.
Marcus Domask added 15 points for the Illini (6-1), who won at Rutgers for the first time since Feb. 25, 2018.
Austin Williams and Aundre Hyatt scored nine points apiece for the Scarlet Knights (5-2), whose five-game winning streak ended.
The game featured the top two defenses in the Big Ten, with Rutgers holding opponents to 55.5 points and Illinois allowing 58.7. Rutgers shot 33.3% from the field (20 of 60).
Illinois went on a 17-2 spurt midway through the second half to take its largest lead at 67-44. Shannon made three 3s during the run.
The Illini opened the game on a 14-2 run, with Quincy Guerrier contributing seven points, but Rutgers closed within 41-36 at halftime thanks to an 18-9 run over the final 7:06.
BIG PICTURE
Illinois: Coleman Hawkins returned to the starting lineup for the Illini after missing the last three games with a knee injury. The senior forward had six points and seven rebounds in 26 minutes. His progress will be important in upcoming games against No. 13 Florida Atlantic and No. 10 Tennessee.
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights hope to get defensive specialist Mawot Mag back soon. The senior forward, who suffered a torn ACL last season, has dressed for the last few games but has yet to play.
UP NEXT
Illinois: Faces No. 13 Florida Atlantic in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Rutgers: At Wake Forest on Wednesday.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
