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LIVE BLOG: FINAL - No. 15 Illinois 66, Purdue 58; Illini Win Third Straight

A belated Happy New Year and welcome to the State Farm Center where No. 15 Illinois (7-3, 3-1) will host Purdue (7-4, 2-2).

Matthew Stevens

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A belated Happy New Year and welcome to the State Farm Center where No. 15 Illinois (7-3, 3-1) will host Purdue (7-4, 2-2).

I'm LOOKING LIVE...at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill., as we're about an hour 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 11: Purdue at No. 15 Illinois

Date/Time/Place: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2020: 5 p.m. CST, State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill.

Capacity: N/A (NO FANS!)

Records: Purdue 7-4, 2-2 in Big Ten Conference; 16-15, 9-11 in the Big Ten Conference in 2019-20 season. Illinois 7-3, 3-1 in Big Ten Conference; 21–10, 13–7 in Big Ten Conference in 2019-20 season.

Line: Illinois by 7.5

Series notes: Purdue leads the all-time series 102-89 but Illinois leads 58-36 in Champaign. In its last trip to State Farm Center, Purdue’s 37 points marked the fewest allowed by an Illini opponent in 12 years, since a 70-37 win over Northwestern on Jan. 27, 2008. It was the fewest points scored by Purdue, meanwhile, since totaling 33 on Jan. 3, 1949.

TV: BTN; Brandon Gaudin (PBP), Stephen Bardo (analyst)

Radio (Illinois): Brian Barnhart (PBP), Deon Thomas (analyst).

Here is the Top 25 & Big Ten' lineup of games for the rest of today:

No. 8 West Virginia (8-2, 1-1) at Oklahoma (5-2, 1-1) - CURRENTLY PLAYING ON ESPN2

No. 23 Oklahoma State (6-2, 0-2) at No. 13 Texas Tech (8-2, 1-1) CURRENTLY PLAYING ON ESPN+

Alabama (6-3, 1-0) at No. 7 Tennessee (7-0, 1-0), 5 p.m., ESPN2

No. 17 Michigan State (6-3, 0-3) at Nebraska (4-6, 0-3), 7 p.m., BTN

Stanford (5-2, 1-0) at No. 21 Oregon (7-1, 2-0), 9 p.m., ESPN2

Projected Starters:

Purdue

Eric Hunter Jr.- G

 Sasha Stefanovic- G

 Brandon Newman - G

Mason Gillis - G/F

Trevion Williams - F

----

Illinois

Ayo Dosunmu - G

Trent Frazier - G

Adam Miller - G

Da'Monte Williams- G

Kofi Cockburn - C

NOTES:

  • Illinois carries an 8-game winning streak at State Farm Center and has won five straight Big Ten home games.
  • Illinois ranks sixth in kenpom offensive efficiency. That is the program’s highest rating since the 2005 NCAA runner-up squad had the nation’s No. 3 offense.
  • Da’Monte Williams leads the nation in 3-point shooting (min. 20 attempts), connecting on 16-of-23 for 69.6 percent.
  • Illinois point guard Ayo Dosunmu and center Kofi Cockburn are the most prolific tandem in college basketball, combining to average 41.3 points per game. Dosunmu is the NCAA’s fourth-leading scorer at 24.1 ppg, while Cockburn is 127th at 17.2 ppg.
  • Purdue has a balanced attack as seven players average between 6.2 and 14.1 points per game.
  • Purdue is looking for its first win on the road against a top-15 team since a Feb. 25, 2012, victory at Michigan (75-61). It also marks the last time an unranked Purdue team won over a top-15 team on the road. Purdue has won four games under Painter against top-15 teams on the road.
  •  Purdue has outrebounded 10 of 11 opponents this year and ranks third in the Big Ten in rebound margin (+9.6).

UNIFORM UPDATE:

Illinois will be in the throwback white uniforms with the script Illinois across the chest. 

Purdue will be in the classic black road uniforms. These are the uniforms both teams wore last year in this matchup in Champaign. 

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Patrick Gorski/USA TODAY Sports

Media Timeout (15:21 left in 1st): Purdue 7, No. 15 Illinois 4 - Illinois starts out the game 1 of 7 from the field. Ball movement is sticking as Purdue is trying to trap Illinois perimeter players on every screen action. Purdue forward Trevion Williams is 1 of 4. 

Media Timeout (15:21 left in 1st): No. 15 Illinois 12, Purdue 9 - Purdue is currently 1 for its last 11 from the field and Illinois' four points from the foul line has been key in grabbing the lead. Cockburn's physical presence a major problem for Purdue's Trevion Williams. 

Purdue Timeout (9:48 left in 1st): No. 15 Illinois 16, Purdue 9 - Illinois is on a 14-2 run over the last 7:52 as Purdue has missed 14 of its last 15 shots. Matt Painter is not thrilled. 

Media Timeout (7:41 left in 1st): No. 15 Illinois 16, Purdue 11 - The description of this game can be summed up this way: Illinois is currently on a 2-minute scoring drought and still leads by five. 

Media Timeout (3:44 left in 1st): No. 15 Illinois 21, Purdue 16 - Both teams have combined for 15 field goals and 11 turnovers. Illinois has six points in transition, which has been key because their half-court offense has been very poor. 

Illini Timeout (1:04 left in 1st): No. 15 Illinois 28, Purdue 20 - Da'Monte Williams drains a 3-pointer to give Illinois its biggest lead of the day. Ayo Dosunmu has 10 points for the Illini. 

HALFTIME: No. 15 Illinois 33, Purdue 23 -  Illinois made its last five field goal attempts (two of them being Williams from 3-point range) but Illini give a 3-pointer to end the half and Underwood storms into the locker room in a screaming fit. Ayo Dosunmu has 12 points and half the field goals as Purdue. 

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Illini Timeout (17:03 left): Purdue 35, No. 15 Illinois 33 - An absolutely atrocious start for the Illini as Purdue has scored the game's last 13 points. Illini are 4 of 11 from the foul line today. 

Media Timeout (15:51 left): Purdue 37, No. 15 Illinois 33 - Purdue is on a 17-0 run while Illini have missed nine shots in this half (five FGs and four FTs). Brandon Newman has 12 points and five rebounds for Purdue. 

Media Timeout (11:05 left): No. 15 Illinois 50, Purdue 44 - Illinois on a 17-5 run thanks mostly to hitting 3 of 7 from 3-point range and doing a better job of controlling Purdue's post touches. Curbelo with six points and four assists today. 

Media Timeout (7:29 left): No. 15 Illinois 57, Purdue 48 - Purdue is shooting 70 percent in this half but Illini able to get quick buckets with 17 points off 12 turnovers from the visitors. Da'Monte Williams with 11 points and six rebounds. 

Illini/Media Timeout (2:58 left): No. 15 Illinois 64, Purdue 55 - Both teams are 12 of 21 from the field but Illinois is getting more pick-and-roll dunks with Kofi Cockburn to stretch this lead out. Cockburn with 14 and 10 today. 

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Published
Matthew Stevens
MATTHEW STEVENS

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