MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA (Chambana Today) – The Fighting Illini secured a commanding 95-74 win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena Saturday evening. This victory came as a surprising display of offensive efficiency after a tough loss to Rutgers earlier in the week.
Freshman forward Will Riley and guard Kasparas Jakucionis led the Illini with breakout performances, scoring 27 and 24 points, respectively. Riley also contributed nine rebounds and seven assists, while Jakucionis ended a recent slump with sharp shooting from beyond the arc.
It had been six years since two Illinois freshmen scored 20 or more points in the same game, but that milestone was shattered on Saturday night. The Illini shot an impressive 63.2% from the field, marking their highest scoring total since a dominant January win over Oregon. Defensively, the Illini locked down Minnesota’s top scorer Dawson Garcia, limiting him to just 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Illini’s versatile defense disrupted Garcia throughout the game, showcasing standout efforts from Ben Humrichous and Kylan Boswell.
Head coach Brad Underwood praised the team’s ability to capitalize on offensive opportunities and stifle one of the Big Ten’s biggest scorers.