e first half. We pulled within in eight points
Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2018 9:01 pm
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Jalen Coleman-Lands and Maverick Morgan scored 18 points apiece to lead six players in double figures and Illinois beat Division II McKendree 112-65 on Tuesday night.The game was a strong response from Coleman-Lands, who struggled in the first two games of the season.It feels good (to get my shot going), especially with the last two games, Coleman-Lands said. My teammates just do a good job of trusting me. Its just about repetition and getting ready for the next game.Michael Finke had 17 points, on 8-of-10 shooting, and eight rebounds and Tracy Abrams was 5-of-5 from the field with four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points and six assists. Aaron Jordan scored 11, including three 3s, and Mike Thorne Jr. had 10 points and 10 rebounds.Illinois (3-0) opened the game with a 7-0 run, including five points by Finke, and never trailed.Coleman-Lands hit 3-pointers on three-consecutive possessions to make it 21-10 with 12:28 left in the first half and the Illini led by double figures the rest of the way.The Illinois bench outscored McKendrees reserves 59-23 and shot 56 percent from the field, including 16 of 28 (57 percent) from 3-point range.Illinois head coach John Groce was proud of his teams performance given his teams sloppy play in the first two games.They responded today, Groce said. We have a long way to go, but they played hard today for a lot longer and I liked the attitudes and vibes on our team. That was a good step in the right direction.Nate Michael, son of former Illinois basketball player Tom Michael, led the McKendree (1-0) with 25 points. The game served as an exhibition for Bearcats.Tuesday was a moment that Michael said hell never forget.It was a dream come true, Michael said. Growing up just down the road here, having season tickets when my dad worked here . I just wish we played a little bit better here. We definitely enjoyed ourselves, and this will help us in the future.BIG PICTUREIllinois: The Illini played the way they should against a Division-II team. Illinois will play two more relatively easy games before facing No. 19 West Virginia in the NIT Season Tip-Off on Nov. 24.McKendree: The Bearcats had a good idea of how the game was going to go before the ball was even tipped. Theyll return to regular competition Saturday.STAR WATCHAfter scoring a career-high 40 points against Northern Kentucky on Sunday, Malcolm Hill was limited to three points.FRESHMAN STANDOUTTeJon Lucas got some early playing time after starter Tracy Abrams got into foul trouble. The freshman guard took advantage of the opportunity, finishing with nine points and six assists.HIGHLIGHT REELColeman-Lands took a break from draining shots in the second half when he assisted Maverick Morgan on a behind-the-head pass.UP NEXTIllinois hosts Detroit on Friday night as part of the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament.McKendree returns to regular-season games Saturday when the Bearcats host Crowleys Ridge on Saturday night.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org Jerseys NFL China . The scientists believe the small earthquake during a Marshawn Lynch touchdown was likely greater than Lynchs famous "beast quake" touchdown run three years ago, which also came against New Orleans during a playoff game. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. http://www.cheapnfloutletjerseys.com/ . Three came down to the fourth quarter while quarterbacks continued to shine in all four games; so important to the overall quality of the game. Wholesale Football Jerseys 2018 . Both players have lower body injuries that will keep them out of the lineup until at least January 31, which is the first game they can be activated from IR. NFL Jerseys Outlet . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State stars Victoria Vivians and Morgan William were at their best during the 10th-ranked Bulldogs 79-68 victory over No. 8 Texas on Sunday.That wasnt a surprise. Its what the Bulldogs did without those two on the floor that turned some heads.William scored 23 points and Vivians added 19, but it was a second-quarter run largely led by the teams reserves that helped put the Longhorns away.Our kids, that second quarter, really answered the bell and got after it, Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer said. We got some real critical stops and then we really were attacking the rim.Mississippi State (4-0) pulled away in the second quarter thanks to some valuable minutes from the bench -- especially backup guards Roshunda Johnson and Jazzmun Holmes -- and a suffocating defense that held the Longhorns without a field goal for the final 9:40 of the half.The Bulldogs had a 26-9 advantage in the second quarter to turn a tie game into a 42-25 halftime lead. Johnson had seven points and Holmes added three during the run while Vivians and William were their biggest cheerleaders on the sideline.Everybodys stepped their game up, Vivians said. Everybody can go to the basket. Everyone can score.Texas (1-2) had 15 turnovers in the first half and 24 in the game.We got a little frantic in some situations, Texas coach Karen Aston said.Brooke McCarty led Texas with 19 points, and Ariel Atkins added 18. Texas lost despite shooting a respectable 27 of 56 from the field (48.2 percent) and outrebounded the Bulldogs 36-26.The Longhorns pulled within 48-40 in the third quarter, but couldnt get any closer.There were a whole lot of positives, Aston said. Even the turnovers, most of them were in the first half. We pulled within in eight points, but then we forced some things. Young kids trying to make something happen every possession.William shhot 5 of 11 from the field and 13 of 14 from the free-throw line while also adding six rebounds and three steals.ddddddddddddDominique Dillingham added 10 points for the Bulldogs.INSTANT OFFENSEMississippi State played 10 players on Sunday, including nine who were on the roster last season. The only new player was Johnson, a 5-foot-7 junior guard who transferred from Oklahoma State and sat out last season.Shes been excellent so far this season, averaging nearly 12 points per game as a consistent scoring option with the second team off the bench.BIG PICTURETexas: Its been a tough start to the season for Texas, which has now lost two of its first three games. Both of those losses -- against Stanford and Mississippi State -- came against good teams, but they provide ample evidence that the Longhorns have some work to do to be among the nations elite.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs lost to Texas in Austin last season, but won against the Longhorns with relative ease on their home court. Vivians -- who is inarguably the teams best scorer -- had a solid game, but it was the consistent production from others like William, Dillingham, Chinwe Okorie and the bench that was most important for Mississippi State.LIMPING SCHAEFERSchaefer was noticeably limping during the second half of the game, and the coach said he believed it was his due to a case of gout in his feet. Vivians and William had to nearly carry Schaefer into the postgame press conference.UP NEXTTexas: The Longhorns return home to face Northwestern State on Wednesday.Mississippi State: The Bulldogs face Oregon on Friday in the opening round of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Tournament in Honolulu on Friday.----Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '