#22 Illinois Dominates #9 Oregon in Stunning Road Triumph

EUGENE, Ore. – No. 22 Illinois displayed balanced scoring along with a proficient offensive execution to soar by No. 9 Oregon, 109-77, at Matthew Knight Arena on Thursday evening.

This triumph signified the Fighting Illini’s initial away victory against a top-10 squad since 2021, while the Orange and Blue exceeded the 100-point threshold on the road for the first time since 2016.

Shooting 57.5% from the field and 55.2% from beyond the arc, the visitors had six players reach double-digit scoring in the commanding 32-point road victory.

Tre White recorded his first double-double of the season and the fifth of his career, achieving 20 points along with 11 rebounds. In addition to his second 20-point outing of the season, White concluded his performance with four assists and two blocks.

Ben Humrichous drained four 3-pointers to finish with 18 points, marking his fifth game in double figures this season. Shooting 7-for-11 from the field and 4-for-7 from deep, Humrichous also gathered two rebounds and made an assist.

Kylan Boswell scored 15 points while going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc, and he added four assists, two steals, one rebound, and one assist.

Kasparas Jakucionis contributed significantly with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists, and a steal. After facing foul issues in the first half, Jakucionis shot 6-for-8 from the field, netting all 16 of his points in the last 20 minutes of play.

Jake Davis scored 12 points, marking his first game this season with double-digit scoring. Showing efficiency at 5-for-6 from the field, Davis made two 3-pointers and accumulated all his points in the first half while securing two of his three rebounds on the offensive end.

For the second consecutive game and the third time this season, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn reached double figures with 11 points while also going 5-for-6 from the field. He recorded all of his points in the first half, alongside two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.

Tomislav Ivisic registered eight points and eight rebounds, including three offensive boards.

A 7-2 start by the Ducks provided the hosts with an early five-point lead, however, the Illini began to find their rhythm after a few initial shooting difficulties. A 12-0 Illinois run over the subsequent three and a half minutes enabled the Orange and Blue to acquire a 14-7 advantage. Ten of those points were generated from the Illini bench; Davis secured four consecutive points before Gibbs-Lawhorn contributed the final six points of that run.

The visiting team held Oregon scoreless for almost four minutes, and Illinois eventually expanded its lead to double digits for the first time with 7:17 left in the first half. Two 3-pointers from Davis in a span of 68 seconds raised the Illini lead to 11 while also bringing him into double figures for the first time this season.

Gibbs-Lawhorn reached double-digit scoring two minutes later, and two Boswell three-pointers in the last six minutes took the Illini into halftime with a 45-38 lead. Davis accumulated a game-high 12 points in the first half, while Gibbs-Lawhorn followed closely with 11 points of his own throughout the first 20 minutes.

The guests commenced the second half with significant momentum. Making four of their initial five attempts within the first two minutes, the Orange and Blue strung together an 11-2 run to initiate the final frame, establishing a 56-40 lead with 18:12 left. Humrichous sank two triples during that duration, marking him as the third Illini player to hit double figures.

Following the Ducks’ first successful field goal of the half, Illinois embarked on another extended scoring streak, this time executing a 9-0 run to…

Extend the squad’s advantage beyond the 20-point threshold for the initial occasion. During that two-minute stretch, four distinct starters successfully converted shots, elevating the Orange and Blue’s lead to 65-42, with just over 16 minutes remaining on the clock.

The home team orchestrated a 12-1 surge to diminish their shortfall. However, consecutive baskets from Boswell, both from three-point territory, enabled the Illini to uphold their double-digit lead, 74-58, with roughly 11 minutes still remaining.

An impressive 13-3 run by Illinois shortly augmented the Orange and Blue’s lead to 24. A phase of 10-of-11 successful shots within a span of six-and-a-half minutes significantly contributed to the team’s offensive prowess, as the visitors kept expanding their already considerable lead.

The Illini’s margin reached as high as 32 in this dominant away victory, improving Illinois to 10-3 for the season and 2-1 in conference matchups.

Ranked No. 22, Illinois will remain on the West Coast for its forthcoming match on Sunday against Washington. The opening tip-off between the Fighting Illini and the Huskies is slated for 3 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.

HIGHLIGHTS

PRESS CONFERENCE

POSTGAME NOTES

Player Notes:

• Tre White achieved a team-best 20 points alongside 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
  • Notched the first double-double of his Illinois career and his fifth total such performance.
  • Recorded his second 20-point game this season.
    • Scored in double figures for the fourth time in his last five contests and for the sixth time overall this season.
  • Secured double-digit rebounds for the second occasion this season and equaled his seasonal high.
  • Matched his career-best in assists and blocks.
• Ben Humrichous registered a season-high 18 points and hauled in two rebounds.
  • Achieved double-digit scoring for the fifth time this season and for the first instance since Nov. 20.
  • Converted four 3-pointers, hitting at least four triples for the second time this season.
• Kasparas Jakucionis contributed 16 points while also recording six rebounds and six assists.
  • Hit double figures for scoring for the eighth consecutive game and the 11th time this season, leading the team.
  • Achieved his third game this season with a minimum of six rebounds and six assists.
    • Has recorded eight games this season with at least six rebounds.
    • Has achieved five games this season with at least six assists.
• Kylan Boswell tallied 15 points and provided four assists.
  • Scored in double figures for the fifth consecutive game and for the eighth time overall this season.
  • Recorded a season-high four 3-pointers.
    • Has made multiple three-pointers in two consecutive games and in five games overall this season.
  • Accumulated at least four assists in three straight games and in four of his last five.
• Jake Davis came off the bench to achieve 12 points and grabbed three rebounds.
  • Secured a season-high 12 points.
    • Had a game-high 12 points at halftime, hitting 5-of-6 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from three-point range.
    • Scored in double figures for the first time in his Illinois career.
  • Has sunk at least two 3-pointers in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
• Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn came off the bench to net 11 points, going 5-for-6 from the floor.
  • Scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time this season and for the third time overall.
    • Had 11 points at halftime, adding two rebounds and an assist.

Team Notes:

• Starting lineup: Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, Tomislav Ivisic, Kasparas Jakucionis, Tre White
• Illinois equaled its season-high with six players reaching double figures in scoring.
  • Ninth game this season with at least four players scoring in double digits.
• The 32-point victory margin is the largest ever achieved by a visiting team over an AP Top 10 opponent.
• The 109 points are the second-most any squad has ever registered in a regulation road game against a Top-10 opponent, surpassed only by Kansas State’s 116 at Texas in 2023.
  • The 109 points registered by the Illini were the most by a Duck opponent this season and the highest by a visiting team against Oregon in history.
• Illinois secured its first road victory over a top-10 team since triumphing over No. 7 Ohio State on March 6, 2021.
  • This victory ends a five-game losing streak in away games against top-25 teams and a four-game losing skid in road games against ranked Big Ten opponents.
• Illinois rises to 71-32 (.689) in the Big Ten since 2019-20, marking the best record in the conference during that time frame.
  • The Illini also enhance their B1G-leading road performance since 2019-20, improving to 30-22 (.577) in league play away from home over the last six seasons.
• Illinois moves to 3-2 against ranked top-25 teams this season, also achieving victories over No. 19 Arkansas and No. 20 Wisconsin.
• The Illini’s 109 points signify their highest scoring tally in a road game since Feb. 3, 2016, when Illinois tallied 110 points in a triple-overtime victory at Rutgers.
• Illinois has surpassed 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since the 2019-20 season, when the Illini registered 120 against Hampton on Nov. 23, 2019, followed by 117 against Lindenwood on Nov. 20, 2019.
• The Illini are the first Big Ten team since Feb. 9, 1989, to score 100+ points in a top-10 road victory (No. 10 Michigan overcame No. 8 Iowa, 108-107).
• The Illini have now surpassed the 100-point mark three times this season for the first time since the 1993-94 season, when Illinois reached over 100 points on six occasions.
• Illinois converted 16 3-pointers tonight, equaling its season-high mark, while achieving a season-best 55.2% from three-point territory.
  • They made double-digit 3-pointers for the second contest in a row and for the ninth time this season.
  • The Illini began the game by missing their first seven attempts from deep before converting 16 of their subsequent 22 attempts from beyond the arc (.727).
  • The Illini’s 16 made 3-pointers matched the all-time single-game record for contests played at Matthew Knight Arena.
• The Illini dominated the boards against the Ducks, out-rebounding them 43-31, winning the rebounding battle for the third consecutive game.
  • Illinois has out-rebounded its last three opponents by at least 12 and has secured a double-digit rebounding margin in eight games this season.
  • The Illini held a 10-9 edge in offensive rebounds, generating 13 second-chance points.
• The Illini matched their season-high with 48 points in the paint, a record previously set in their last game versus Chicago State on Sunday.