Illinois’ offense catches fire in 1st exhibition match
The Illini continued their offensive dominance as the defense showed concerns.
Illinois showcased a formidable offense in a 100-point victory over Cincinnati in their first exhibition match of the season. Despite playing without David Mirkovic, the team's star player, they still managed to score with ease. Andrej Stojakovic was the team's leading scorer, putting up 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting. Stojakovic relied on his strengths, predominantly driving to the basket and capitalizing on his free-throw opportunities.
Interestingly, he didn't attempt any three-pointers throughout the game. Stojakovic finished the night with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a perfect 8-for-8 performance from the free-throw line. Three Illini guards, Stefan Vaaks, Quentin Coleman, and Ethan Brown, made impressions in their unofficial debuts. Freshmen Coleman and Brown had notable performances, while Vaaks, a transfer from Providence, contributed significantly off the bench.
Cincinnati's offense was slightly better than Illinois', scoring 96 points in response, led by Tylen Riley's 31-point, 13-assist performance. Riley was dominant, shooting 10-of-18 from the field and making all eight of his free throws. However, despite turning the ball over fewer times, Cincinnati's defense struggled, allowing 20 points off turnovers compared to Illinois' 15.
With another exhibition game against Baylor ahead, Illinois has an opportunity to refine their defense following their less-than-stellar showing against the Bearcats.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
