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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
WASHINGTON (AP) -- After an intense loss to Maryland before a
hostile crowd, Illinois had a relatively workmanlike victory in a half-empty arena.
Cory Bradford scored 19 points and Marcus Griffin had 16 as Fighting Illini (No. 24 in the newly released ESPN/USA Today rankings, No. 16 Associated Press) defeated Seton Hall 72-61 Sunday in the consolation game of the BB&T Classic.
After a 69-67 loss to the Terrapins (No. 19 ESPN/USA Today, No. 24 AP) the night before,
the Fighting Illini (3-2) took the lead for good with an 11-2 run in the first half against the Pirates (3-2).
"We knew we should have taken care of business last night,"
said Griffin, who controlled the paint with four consecutive
Illinois baskets during one stretch in the second half. "You can't
get caught resting. Tonight we got a lot of second-shot opportunities."
Seton Hall essentially kept itself out of the game by shooting
36 percent, not much better than the Pirates' 32 percent
performance in a loss to George Washington on Saturday. Senior
co-captain Rimas Kaukenas was just 4-for-13 over the weekend, and
he was clearly bothered by his lack of scoring chances.
"I feel people lose their trust in me," Kaukenas said. "They
don't trust me, don't believe in me. I gave my heart and soul to
that game."
His coach, Tommy Amaker, saw thing differently.
"I thought he had good looks," Amaker said. "He just didn't
make shots. He's human. It's not like people don't scout us. They
try to limit Rimas' 3-point looks just like we did with Bradford."
Amaker had another personnel problem to deal with. Regulars Gary
Saunders and Greg Morton missed a team bus, so they were left out
of the starting lineup.
Backup forward Damir Krupalija fought for a pair of offensive
rebounds that turned into baskets to start the 11-2 spurt that gave
Illinois a 26-16 lead. Bradford finished the run with a 3-pointer.
After that, Seton Hall didn't get closer than eight points until
they closed to 60-56 with a 10-0 rally. But Bradford hit a
3-pointer with 4:15 to play to get the lead back to seven, then
followed with another with 2:35 left to make it 68-56.
The Illini's aggressive zone defense disrupted Seton Hall
3-point shooters. The Pirates were just 9-for-28 from long range,
although back-to-back 3s from Darius Lane and Shaheen Holloway
spurred the late 10-0 rally.
A key turn of events came with the
score 65-56, when Holloway threw up an air ball on a 3-point
attempt then was knocked to the court with an elbow as Bradford
made the big 3-pointer at the other end.
Lane, in the starting lineup after scoring a career-high 24
points against George Washington, finished with 17 points on
7-for-12 shooting to lead Seton Hall.
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Seton Hall Clubhouse
Illinois Clubhouse
GW drops Terps, claims Beltway bragging rights
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