CHAMPAIGN — After allowing Alabama to score 100 points last Wednesday, the Illinois Fighting Illini have held its last two opponents to just 74 points in two games.
On Monday night, it was the Little Rock Trojans that got completely shut down by the Illinois defense. The Fighting Illini cruised to a 92-34 victory over the Trojans.
The 34 points allowed by Illinois ties the program record for the fewest points ever conceded at the State Farm Center and that comes on the heels of Saturday’s 87-40 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore. The other games where the Illini held their opponents to 34 points came in 2006 against Savannah State (81-34) and 1985 against Wisconsin-Green Bay (84-34).
Freshman Kasparas Jakucionis had a career-high 21 points for the Fighting Illini, which improved to 5-1. Jakucionis went 3-for-4 from 3-point range and was 8-for-8 at the free-throw line. He also added six rebounds, five assist and three steals in the victory.
Tomislav Ivisic recorded his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. It’s the sixth straight game that Ivisic has scored in double figures for the Illini.
Also reaching double digits for Illinois were Tre White with a season-high 16 and Will Riley came off the bench with 13.
Freshman Morez Johnson Jr. had eight points and 11 rebounds, he’s had double-digit rebounds in back-to-back games for the Illini.
The 58-point victory for Illinois is its largest since Dec. 18, 2021 against St. Francis (Pa.) and for Little Rock (3-4), it was largest margin of defeat as a Division I program.