Illini overcome slow start to defeat Eastern Illinois in season opener
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 18 points, Terrence Shannon Jr. added 16 and No. 25 Illinois pulled away in the second half to beat Eastern Illinois 80-52 in a season opener for both teams on Monday night.
Twelve players scored for the Illini as they used their depth to turn away the Panthers.
Gibbs-Lawhorn, a freshman on a team of mostly veteran players, was impressive in his Illini debut. The slender 6-foot-1 guard shot 7 of 10 from the field, including a one-handed dunk in the first half that ignited the State Farm Center crowd.
Kooper Jacobi scored 10 points to lead Eastern Illinois.
Ahead 37-25 at halftime, the Illini pulled away from the Panthers with a 21-6 run to start the second half
Illinois started slowly. Eastern Illinois took an early 15-6 lead before the sluggish Illini rallied.
It took a 10-point run in the final 3:03 of the first half to give Illinois its 12-point halftime lead. The Illini led at the break despite making just 4 of 17 3-pointers and shooting 3 for 10 on free throws.
They finished just 9 of 31 on 3s and 10 of 20 at the free throw line.
BIG PICTURE
After beating No. 1 Kansas in an exhibition game, the Illini came out flat against their in-state foe and paid the price, struggling for much of the first half. It was not a terribly impressive victory for a ranked team. After going 9-22 last season, Eastern Illinois stood its ground against the Illini for the most of the first half, providing hope for a turnaround season.
UP NEXT
Eastern Illinois: The Panthers will face Monmouth (Ill.) on Wednesday in their home opener.
Illinois: The Illini will continue their six-game home stand to start the season by hosting Oakland (Mich.) on Friday.