CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – The USC Trojans defeated the 13th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini, 82-72, in a Big Ten Conference battle at State Farm Center on Saturday, January 11. With the victory, USC improved to 10-6 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while Illinois fell to 12-4 and 4-2 in the Big Ten.
The game was competitive throughout, with Illinois at one point pulling even after Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn’s 3-pointer tied the game at 53-all midway through the second half. Notable plays included Illinois guard Kylan Boswell’s steal and layup that narrowed USC’s lead to 11-8 early on, and a fast-break layup from Jake Davis, cutting the Trojans’ advantage to 34-31 just before halftime. Despite Illinois’ fight back, including a clutch 3-pointer from Gibbs-Lawhorn and a dunk by Tomislav Ivisic, USC held strong, with Desmond Claude’s dunk and Kevin Patton Jr.’s timely three-pointer adding to their advantage.
The win marked USC’s seventh victory in the all-time series against Illinois, leading 7-3 overall.