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LIVE: FINAL: No. 12 Illinois 75, No. 19 Wisconsin 60 - Ayo with Triple Double (21 pts, 12 ast, 12 reb)

Illini Now/Sports Illustrated is live at State Farm Center for a key battle for the Big Ten Conference regular season championship as No. 12 Illinois (12-5, 8-3) will host No. 19 Wisconsin (14-5, 8-4).

Matthew Stevens

LIVE: FINAL: No. 12 Illinois 75, No. 19 Wisconsin 60 - Ayo with Triple Double (21 pts, 12 ast, 12 reb)
LIVE: FINAL: No. 12 Illinois 75, No. 19 Wisconsin 60 - Ayo with Triple Double (21 pts, 12 ast, 12 reb) /

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Good evening and welcome to the State Farm Center for a matchup of two Top 20 programs and a key battle for the Big Ten Conference regular season championship as No. 12 Illinois (12-5, 8-3) will host No. 19 Wisconsin (14-5, 8-4).

I'm LOOKING LIVE...at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill., as we're about a few hours from the opening tip.

NOTE: Please join us as we live-blog and discuss the Illini game here in our weekly Illini Gameday Open Thread. Dive into the conversation — it's easy — by simply going to the top right of the redesigned site and click the follow button.

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Game 18: No. 19 Wisconsin at No. 12 Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021: 1:30 p.m. CST, State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill.

Capacity: N/A (NO FANS!)

Records: Wisconsin 14-5, 8-4 in Big Ten Conference; 21-10, 14-6 in the Big Ten Conference in 2019-20 season. Illinois 12-5, 8-3 in Big Ten Conference; 21–10, 13–7 in Big Ten Conference in 2019-20 season.

Line: Illinois by 4

Series notes: Illinois leads the all-time series 111-89 and leads 68-28 in Champaign. However, Wisconsin has won seven games in a row on the Illini home floor.

TV: FOX; Kevin Kugler (Play-by-Play), Donny Marshall (Analyst)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Doug Altenberger (analyst).

Projected Starters:

Wisconsin 

D'Mitrik Trice - G

Brad Davison - G

Aleem Ford - F

Tyler Wahl - F

Micah Potter - C

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Illinois

Ayo Dosunmu - G

Trent Frazier - G

Adam Miller - G

Jacob Grandison - F

Kofi Cockburn - C

UNIFORM UPDATE:

Illinois is going with the script 'Illinois' white uniforms and Wisconsin is going with the red uniforms with the white trim. 

PRE-GAME NOTES

  • Illinois center Kofi Cockburn leads the NCAA with 12 double-doubles this season. He has posted double-doubles in nine of 11 Big Ten games, averaging 18.4 points and 11.0 rebounds during league play. At 16.8 ppg and 10.2 rpg, Cockburn is one of 19 players nationally – and one of just three from the high-major conferences – currently averaging a double-double. He is on pace to become the first Illini player since Nick Weatherspoon in 1973 (25.0 ppg, 12.3 rpg) to average a double-double for an entire season.
  • Trent Frazier has been on fire the last three games, averaging 18.7 points (56) and shooting 44% from 3-point range (11-25) while making an average of 3.7 treys.
  • Freshman Andre Curbelo ranks second in the Big Ten in assists during league play at 5.5 apg. He is averaging 4.6 assists on the season, currently ranking fourth on the school’s all-time freshman assists chart behind legendary Illini point guards Bruce Douglas, Derek Harper and Dee Brown. Curbelo is averaging 10.0 points (20), 4.5 rebounds (9) and 6.0 assists (12) over the last two games.
  • Jacob Grandison has scored 27 points over the last four games (6.8 ppg) after totaling 29 points through this season’s first 13 games (2.2 ppg).
  • Da’Monte Williams leads the nation in 3-point shooting (min. 30 attempts), connecting on 22-of-37 for 59.5%.
  • Since scoring a season-low 63 points in the Maryland loss, Illinois is averaging 78.8 points over the last four games (315). Illinois has held seven of its last eight opponents to less than 44% shooting. Since the loss to Ohio State, Illini foes are shooting a combined 39.4% over the last three games (74-188).
  • Illinois is 10-0 this season when holding teams to less than 45% shooting. Illinois is 10-0 when shooting more free throws than its opponent, compared to 2-5 in games where it gets to the foul line less than the opposition.

Today's Game Officials: 

Bo Boroski, Rob Kueneman, Courtney Green

LIVE: UW Timeout (15:41 left): No. 12 Illinois 11, No. 19 Wisconsin 4 - After three terrible possessions, Illinois have relied on its 1-2 punch of Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn to turn this game completely in their favor. Cockburn already with four points and altering anything Micah Potter wants to do inside. 

LIVE: Media Timeout (11:02 left in 1st): No. 12 Illinois 17, No. 19 Wisconsin 10 - This is quickly becoming a game where Ayo Dosunmu reminds us all why he's an All-American today. The junior guard has six points, three rebounds and two assists in eight minutes. Nobody on the Wisconsin roster can keep him in front of them if he catches it at the perimeter. 

LIVE: Media Timeout (7:24 left in 1st): No. 12 Illinois 20, No. 19 Wisconsin 14 - Illinois allowing Wisconsin to hang around early in this game thanks to shooting only 1 of 7 from 3-point range and committing six turnovers. Wisconsin guard D'Mitrik Trice with seven points. 

LIVE: Media Timeout (3:48 left in 1st): No. 12 Illinois 27, No. 19 Wisconsin 19 - Kofi Cockburn already with 10 points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes. Wisconsin has eight points off eight Illini turnovers. Both teams are a combined 2 of 16 from 3-point range. 

LIVE: HALFTIME: No. 12 Illinois 36, No. 19 Wisconsin 23 - Dosunmu puts Wahl on skates and nails a jumper in the Illini's final possession. The Illini All-American has 13 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in this first half. Wisconsin is 0 for 9 from 3-point range and Illinois is leading 20-12 in the first half. 

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LIVE: Media Timeout (15:33 left): No. 12 Illinois 46, No. 19 Wisconsin 32 - Illinois has 12 turnovers today and that statistic is the only reason this game isn't a complete blowout so far. Both Ayo and Kofi with 15 points today. 

LIVE: Illini Timeout (13:20 left): No. 12 Illinois 48, No. 19 Wisconsin 39 - Wisconsin is on a 9-2 run and Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is very (AND I MEAN VERY) displeased with the play of freshman guard Andre Curbelo. Underwood screams the question a lot of us have for Curbelo today - "What the hell are you doing?!"

LIVE: Media Timeout (11:17 left): No. 12 Illinois 52, No. 19 Wisconsin 41 - Trent Frazier is not having a good day shooting but the senior guard just got on the floor to cause a jump ball. Of the 15 turnovers from the Illini, the combination of Dosunmu and Curbelo have nine. 

LIVE: Illini Timeout (4:42 left): No. 12 Illinois 67, No. 19 Wisconsin 52 - Illinois is 11 of 19 from the field in this half and Frazier's step-back jumper feels like the cushion the Illini need to pull off its fourth straight win. 

LIVE: Illini Timeout (1:53 left): No. 12 Illinois 70, No. 19 Wisconsin 57 - Ayo Dosunmu is one rebound away from a triple double. The junior All-American has 19 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds today in 33 minutes. 

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Matthew Stevens
MATTHEW STEVENS

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