Indiana Hoosiers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Box Score on Dec 26, 2020

Preseason All-American Ayo Dosunmu scored 18 of his game-high 30 points in the final 10 minutes as No. 18 Illinois rallied for a 69-60 Big Ten victory over visiting Indiana on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill.

Seven-footer Kofi Cockburn added 15 points, a season-high 15 rebounds and two blocks for Illinois (7-3, 3-1) as the hosts overcame Indiana's controlled pace and tight defense to win back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 25-27.

Sophomore guard Armaan Franklin led Indiana (5-4, 0-2) with a career-high 23 points -- including 5 of 6 shooting from 3-point range -- while Trayce Jackson-Davis contributed 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks in a titanic post battle with Cockburn.

Indiana coach Archie Miller shook up his lineup and rotation and it paid off early as the Hoosiers owned the lead most of the first half. With freshman Trey Galloway starting for Rob Phinisee and Miller giving his bench more run, Indiana held Illinois without a basket for the first five minutes and Franklin stacked up 11 points in the opening 13 minutes to build a 23-18 lead.

Illinois closed on an 11-4 run to take a 29-27 edge into the break as Cockburn finally found a little room. He scored his first two baskets during that stretch, including a ferocious two-handed slam as he and Dosunmu worked a screen-and-roll from the top of the key.

With 17:25 left, Miller was whistled for a technical after Jackson-Davis attacked the rim and didn't get a call when Cockburn made contact. Dosunmu sank both free throws to give Illinois a 33-30 lead, but the technical seemed to inspire the Hoosiers.

Despite having Jackson-Davis on the bench in foul trouble, Indiana responded to take a 49-44 lead on Jordan Geronimo's 3-pointer with 9:47 to go. Illinois responded with seven straight points in 62 seconds as Dosunmu drove for a layup, Cockburn posted for a layup and Dosunmu rattled home a 3-pointer in transition to force Indiana to call a timeout trailing 51-49 with 8:17 to go.

Jackson-Davis returned to the game, but Dosunmu sank two more 3-pointers -- one as the shot clock expired -- to cap a 14-0 run that gave Illinois a 58-49 lead with 6:06 to go.

--Field Level Media