Shannon leads Illini over Nebraska with double-double
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Illinois to a 76-50 win over Nebraska on Tuesday night.
Jayden Epps scored seven points of his 13 points in an 13-0 game-ending run for the Fighting Illini (11-5, 2-3 Big Ten). Coleman Hawkins had 12 points and five assists and Matthew Mayer and RJ Melendez scored 10 points each. Dain Dainja had three of Illinois' seven blocks.
Sam Griesel scored 12 points and Wilhelm Breidenbach scored all 11 of his points consecutively midway through the second half to keep the Cornhuskers (9-8, 2-4) within range. Derrick Walker, coming off a career-high 22 points in a win over Minnesota, scored five. Starting forward Juwan Gary suffered a shoulder injury late in the first half and didn't return.
Nebraska cut an 11-point halftime deficit to five to start the second half but Hawkins hit a 3-pointer and added four more points in a 17-4 run that included Mayer's two 3-pointers. Breidenbach's run brought the Cornhuskers back but they had only one more field goal after that in the final eight minutes.
Shannon scored 17 points in the first half when Illinois took a 34-23 lead.
The Illini scored 16 points off 17 Nebraska turnovers, including 12 steals, in beating the Cornhuskers for the sixth straight time.
Illinois is home against Michigan State and Nebraska is at Purdue in Friday games.