3 Key Numbers From Illinois Basketball's Win Over Penn State

The Illini defense and rebounders had their way again in yet another runaway Big Ten victory

Jan 8, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn (2) drives the ball past Penn State Nittany Lions guard Dominick Stewart (7) during the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

No. 13 Illinois (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten) cruised to a 91-52 home victory over Penn State (12-3, 2-3 Big Ten), putting an end to a four-game losing streak at the hands of the Nittany Lions in impressive fashion. 

Illinois’ 39-point win – the largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game since 2004 – was spearheaded by an excellent defensive performance that held a potent Penn State offense (86.8 points per game entering Wednesday) to a season-low 51 points.

These Illini know how to put up points 👀#B1GMBBall x @IlliniMBB pic.twitter.com/Pz5Ex39ztO

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 9, 2025

Offensively, a balanced scoring attack led the way – highlighted by big-time scoring performances from a trio of Illini forwards (a combination that may surprise you).

Here are three key numbers that explain how Illinois was able to put together a historic blowout win:

3

For the first time since last season (Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins), three Illini scored 20 or more in a game. Freshman Morez Johnson Jr. posted a career-high 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field, while adding 11 boards – good for his second career double-double. Forward Ben Humrichous seems to have finally settled in, putting up 21 points (going 5-for-9 from deep) and nine rebounds in just 23 minutes. And the recent steadying presence of Tre White took hold once more, as the junior swingman went for one of the quietest 20-point, seven-rebound performances you'll ever encounter. The absence of leading scorer and facilitator Kasparas Jakucionis didn't slow the Illini after the first four minutes, which speaks less to his abilities and more to the exceptional depth of a squad with a sky-high ceiling.

Got WAY up ↗️ pic.twitter.com/B1o0xQbz46

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 9, 2025

33.9

Penn State did not have a good night, in any way, shape or form. Everything that could have gone wrong in a basketball game did for the Nittany Lions. The most problematic issue for PSU, though, wasn’t its abysmal three-point performance (2-for-13), but rather an arguably worse showing from inside the arc, where it hit just 18-for-53 shots (33.9 percent). When your leading scorer and offensive catalyst goes 0-for-6 before exiting at halftime, as Ace Baldwin Jr. did following an injury, it's probably going to b a tough night. But those were just the start of the Nittany Lions' troubles against Illinois' D, which PSU coach Mike Rhoades explained in more detail after the game.

25

To be clear, the Illini control the boards on a night-to-night basis. Through 15 games, they have lost the battle on the glass just once – and that was to No. 1 Tennessee (a top-20 rebounding squad). But what Illinois did to Penn State – an average Power Four rebounding squad – was absolute domination. The Illini outrebounded the Nittany Lions by 25, snagging 57 boards to the visiting squad’s 32. That performance lifted Illinois into the No. 1 spot on the NCAA's leaderboard in both rebounds per game and rebounding margin.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

3 Big Takeaways From Illinois' Basketball's Win Over Penn State

Illinois Basketball Rallies Without Kasparas Jakucionis to Blow Out Penn State

Illinois' Kasparas Jakucionis Sits Out Penn State Game Due to Injury