GAMEDAY Mens Basketball
Illinois 86, Nebraska 70
(AP Photo/Holly Hart)
Associated Press
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Kofi Cockburn scored 24 points, freshman Adam Miller added 18 and No. 5 Illinois beat Nebraska 86-70.
Illinois (17-6, 13-4 Big Ten) played without star Ayo Dosunmu, who broke his nose Tuesday against Michigan State and is expected to miss at least two more games.
Freshman guard Andre Curbelo narrowly missed a triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
It was the most points for Miller since he scored 14 against Ohio State on Jan. 16.
Trey McGowens led Nebraska (5-17, 1-14) with 18 points. Kobe Webster and Shamiel Steveson added 12 each for the Cornhuskers.
Illinois was 30 for 62 from the field (48%) while Nebraska shot 27 for 61 (44%). The Fighting Illini outrebounded Nebraska 43-29.
It was a physical game from the opening tip. Back-to-back technical fouls were called on both teams late in the first half, and there were several minor scuffles. Miller hit two 3-pointers and made several circus layups to pull Illinois ahead.
Miller had 16 points at halftime and Illinois led 36-28.
February 25, 2021
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Kofi Cockburn scored 24 points, freshman Adam Miller added 18 and No. 5 Illinois beat Nebraska 86-70.
Illinois (17-6, 13-4 Big Ten) played without star Ayo Dosunmu, who broke his nose Tuesday against Michigan State and is expected to miss at least two more games.
Freshman guard Andre Curbelo narrowly missed a triple-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.
It was the most points for Miller since he scored 14 against Ohio State on Jan. 16.
Trey McGowens led Nebraska (5-17, 1-14) with 18 points. Kobe Webster and Shamiel Steveson added 12 each for the Cornhuskers.
Illinois was 30 for 62 from the field (48%) while Nebraska shot 27 for 61 (44%). The Fighting Illini outrebounded Nebraska 43-29.
It was a physical game from the opening tip. Back-to-back technical fouls were called on both teams late in the first half, and there were several minor scuffles. Miller hit two 3-pointers and made several circus layups to pull Illinois ahead.
Miller had 16 points at halftime and Illinois led 36-28.
February 25, 2021
| Nebraska | ||||||||||||
| Player | Pos | Min | FG-FGA | FT-FTA | 3P-3PA | OR-TR | Ast | Blk | Stl | TO | PF | Pts |
| L. Mayen | F | 26 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| D. Walker | F | 18 | 3-5 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| T. McGowens | G | 26 | 7-17 | 3-4 | 1-4 | 0-4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 18 |
| D. Banton | G | 23 | 2-6 | 2-2 | 0-3 | 0-4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| T. Allen | G | 20 | 2-6 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| T. Thorbjarnarson | 25 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| K. Webster | 21 | 5-9 | 0-0 | 2-5 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | |
| S. Stevenson | 19 | 4-8 | 3-4 | 1-5 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | |
| E. Andre | 11 | 3-5 | 1-3 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 7 | |
| Y. Ouedraogo | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| T. Lakes | 3 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| J. Piatkowski | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| E. Wood | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| B. Porter | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 200 | 27-61 (.443) |
11-16 (.688) |
5-21 (.238) |
5-29 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 25 | 70 | |
| Illinois | ||||||||||||
| Player | Pos | Min | FG-FGA | FT-FTA | 3P-3PA | OR-TR | Ast | Blk | Stl | TO | PF | Pts |
| Z. Griffith | F | 5 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| K. Cockburn | C | 25 | 8-10 | 8-10 | 0-0 | 2-7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 24 |
| T. Frazier | G | 36 | 1-9 | 4-4 | 1-7 | 0-2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 7 |
| A. Miller | G | 28 | 8-15 | 0-2 | 2-8 | 1-4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 18 |
| D. Williams | G | 24 | 3-7 | 1-2 | 1-4 | 2-7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 8 |
| A. Curbelo | 31 | 4-8 | 2-2 | 0-1 | 2-12 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 10 | |
| J. Grandison | 23 | 4-7 | 6-7 | 0-2 | 4-7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 14 | |
| G. Bezhanishvili | 11 | 1-4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| C. Hawkins | 6 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| J. Hamlin | 5 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| E. Padilla Jr. | 2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| T. Underwood | 2 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| B. Bosmans-Verdonk | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| C. Serven | 1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Totals | 200 | 30-62 (.484) |
22-29 (.759) |
4-23 (.174) |
12-43 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 86 | |
Officials: Kelly Pfeifer, Donnie Eppley, Owen Shortt