No. 19 Illinois Takes Down No. 7 Iowa

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 19 Fighting Illini beat No. 7 Iowa 80-75 Friday night at State Farm Center. Illinois was led by Ayo Dosunmu and Trent Frazier who scored a combined 49 points.

Dosunmu scored a game-high 25 points and went a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the arc. It was his eighth game with 10+ field goals made, the most in an Illinois career in at least the last 25 years. Frazier scored a season-high 24 points, his most since the Illini played at Minnesota Jan 30, 2019.

Kofi Cockburn secured the Illini victory after rebounding his missed free throw with 1.8 seconds remaining on the clock. Cockburn scored nine points and had 10 rebounds on the night.

The rebound to seal it from @kxng_alpha pic.twitter.com/cA198e1m8o

— Illinois Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 30, 2021

Jacob Grandison (11 points, 10 rebounds) made his second straight start and scored his first double double as an Illini. Andre Curbelo contributed eight assists, four points and four rebounds.

The game stayed close throughout seeing 22 leads change and eight ties until the Illini pulled away with two minutes remaining.

UP NEXT

Illinois travels to Bloomington to take on Indiana on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Tip-off is at 8 pm CT on ESPN2.

NOTES

• Illinois leads the all-time series against Iowa, 87-76. The Illini are 64-17 all-time against Iowa in Champaign. 
• Illinois has totaled five top-10 wins during the Brad Underwood era: vs. No. 7 Iowa (1/29/21) and at No. 10 Duke (12/8/20) this season, over No. 5 Michigan (12/11/2019) and at No. 9 Penn State (2/18/20) last season, and against No. 9 Michigan State (2/5/19) two years ago.
• The Illini are 28-37 all-time at State Farm Center against top-10 teams. The most recent victory before tonight was last season over No. 5 Michigan (Dec. 11, 2019).
• Iowa lost consecutive games for the first time this season. The Hawkeyes lost 81-69 to Indiana 1/21/21.
• Illinois outrebounded the Hawkeyes 39-33. The +6 rebounding advantage for the Illini is the most in a game against Iowa since Feb. 26, 2012 (+8).
• Illinois shot 50% from the field for the eighth time this season, tied for the ninth-most in the nation and the second-most in the Big Ten (Michigan, 9).
• Illinois was 14-17 from the free throw line, a season-best 82.4%. The Illini were 12-13 (92.3%) in the second half. 
• Ayo Dosunmu led Illinois with 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting, including 19 points on 9-of-12 shooting in the first half. Owning numbers of 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, Dosunmu is one of only two players nationally averaging at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists this season (Cameron Shelton, Northern Arizona). This was Dosunmu's eighth career game with 10+ field goals made, the most in an Illinois career in at least the last 25 years.
• Jacob Grandison had 11 points and 10 rebounds, his first career Illinois double-double and the third double-double of his college career (2 at Holy Cross). 
• Trent Frazier scored 24 points, his most points since scoring 30 at Minnesota 1/30/2019 (span of 59 games). 
• Andre Curbelo had 8 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. He is one of five freshmen in the nation with multiple games of 8+ points, 8+ assists, and 4+ rebounds (9 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds vs. Minnesota 12/15/2020). 
• Iowa gave up a season-high 19 field goals made in the first half, the Hawkeyes' most allowed in any half this season. It was Iowa's most allowed in a game since Purdue had 24 field goals in the first half on Feb. 5, 2020
• Illinois shot 59.4% in the first half, the best by an Iowa opponent in a first half this season and the second-best in a half overall (60.0% vs. Indiana in the second half on Jan. 21). It is the highest first half shooting percentage by an Iowa opponent since Feb. 5, 2020 at Purdue (64.9%).
• Illinois held Iowa to a season-low three free throws made, while tying the Hawkeyes' season-low six free throw attempts. 
• Head Coach Brad Underwood and his staff wore custom Nikes along with Coaches vs. Cancer branded masks during Friday night's game, joining coaches from across the country who are participating in the annual Suits and Sneakers Week (Jan. 25-31).
• Kofi Cockburn grabbed 10 rebounds tonight, his 12th game this season securing double-digit boards. He leads Division I college basketball in double-digit rebounding games.