Braggin' Rights Secured: Jakucionis Makes Game-Winner as Illinois Downs Missouri

ST. LOUIS – The Fighting Illini are bringing Braggin' Rights back to Champaign.

Kasparas Jakucionis made the game-winning basket with 28 seconds remaining to clinch Illinois' 80-77 victory over Missouri on Sunday afternoon in St. Louis.

Jakucionis posted his sixth-consecutive 20-point effort, finishing with a game-high 21 points. He also made three 3-pointers, dished out four assists, and went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.

Kylan Boswell scored 16 points while going 11-for-12 from the charity stripe, with all 11 made free throws coming in the second half. Boswell also corralled nine rebounds and totaled five assists and a steal.

Tomislav Ivisic secured his sixth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and he also made two blocks.  

Despite fouling out late, Tre White ended the afternoon with 13 points and eight rebounds while shooting 5-for-7 from the field.

Morez Johnson Jr. poured in six points off the bench, while five of his eight rebounds came on the offensive glass.

The Fighting Illini went 22-for-23 from the free-throw line, and they took advantage of their dominance on the glass by scoring 13 second-chance points on 12 offensive boards. The Orange and Blue won the overall rebounding battle, 42-30.

The Tigers jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead just over three minutes into the game, but the Illini answered with an 8-0 run en route to their first lead of the afternoon. Jakucionis knocked down a 3-pointer to start that two-minute span before burying another triple with a hand in his face and as the shot clock expired to give the Orange and Blue a 10-7 edge.

A back-and-forth battle saw Illinois' advantage grow to six, but a 12-2 Missouri run put the Tigers in front, 28-24, with 5:48 left to play in the first half.

An 8-0 Illini run, which featured four points apiece for Morez Johnson Jr. and Tre White, sent the Orange and Blue back in front, 32-28, with under three minutes remaining in the opening frame.

A 4-0 Tiger run tied the game with two minutes to go, but the Illini scored the final five points of the half to go into the break with a 37-32 advantage.

Jakucionis scored in double figures in his 17 minutes of first-half action, while four different players registered a trey in the first half. The Illini capitalized on their dominance on the boards, scoring nine second-chance points on nine offensive rebounds through the first period of play.

Holding the Tigers without a field goal for over four minutes to start the final frame, the Orange and Blue extended their edge to eight, 42-34, during that stretch. 

Missouri cut its deficit to three points with just under 14 minutes left, but Illinois countered by scoring the next four points to take a 51-44 advantage and force a Tiger timeout with 13:03 remaining, a stretch that brought the Orange and Blue faithful to their feet.

A 7-2 Missouri run after the stoppage cut into the Illinois lead. 90 seconds later, the Illini pieced together a 10-2 scoring stretch to establish a 67-57 edge, their first double-digit lead of the day, with six-and-a-half minutes to play.

The Tigers took their first lead of the second half following an 11-0 run over the next two minutes, but an and-1 layup from White swung the advantage back in the Orange and Blue's favor, 70-68, wih four minutes to go.

With the game knotted at 72 with just over two minutes left to play, Jakucionis made his third 3-pointer to put the Illini in front once again. The Tigers responded with a triple of their own to level the game at 75 before two free throws from each team saw the score even at 77 with 45 seconds remaining.

The Illini retook the lead on their ensuing possession, with Jakucionis hitting a fadeaway jumper to give the Orange and Blue a 79-77 edge with 28 seconds to go. After getting a stop on the defensive end of the floor, Illinois made one of two free throws to push its advantage to 80-77 with eight seconds left to play.

Missouri missed what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer as time expired as the Illini secured the rivalry win in a back-and-forth battle at the Enterprise Center.

Illinois returns to State Farm Center on Dec. 29 for its final home nonconference contest of the regular season, with the Fighting Illini hosting Chicago State for a sold-out 1 p.m. CT tilt.

HIGHLIGHTS

POSTGAME NOTES

Player Notes:

• Kasparas Jakucionis scored a game-high 21 points with two rebounds and four assists.
  • Gave the Illini a 79-77 lead with his turnaround jumper with 28 seconds to go.
  • Turned in his sixth-straight 20-point game, extending his Illinois freshman record.
    • His 21 points are tied with Dee Brown in 2002 for the fourth-most by an Illini freshman against Missouri. 
  • Reached double-figures scoring for the sixth consecutive game and matching Tomislav Ivisic for the team lead with nine such games on the season
  • Went 3-for-7 from beyond the arc.
    • Has multiple 3-pointers in each of the last six games.
    • Has hit at least three 3-pointers in three of his last four.
  • Dished out at least four assists for the ninth time this season.
• Kylan Boswell scored 16 points and added nine rebounds and five assists.
  • Set a new career high in rebounds.
  • Scored in double figures for the third consecutive game and the sixth time this season
  • Went 11-for-12 from the free-throw line.
    • Set career-best marks in free throw makes and attempts.
  • Has at least five assists in four of his last six games.
• Tre White scored 13 points and added eight rebounds.
  • Scored in double figures for the third straight game and fifth time this season.
  • Second time in the last three games with at least eight rebounds…has at least eight boards in four contests overall.
• Tomislav Ivisic posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
  • Recorded his sixth double-double of the season, moving into a tie for the most in the Big Ten, and ranking tied for seventh nationally.
  • Scored in double figures for the ninth time this season, tying for the team lead with Kasparas Jakucionis.
  • Has double-digit rebounds in six-straight games and in eight contests overall.
• Morez Johnson Jr. scored six points and secured eight rebounds.
  • Tied the freshman record for rebounds in a Braggin' Rights matchup (8) set by Deon Thomas as a redshirt freshman in 1990. 
  • Johnson's eight boards are the most by a true freshman in his first Braggin' Rights, eclipsing the seven pulled down by Giorgi Bezhanishvili (12/22/18), Jereme Richmond (12/22/10), Jarrod Gee (12/22/94), and Kiwane Garris (12/22/93).
• Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn came off the bench to score seven points, going 3-for-4 from the floor, including 1-for-2 from beyond the arc.

Team Notes:

• Starting lineup: Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, Tomislav Ivisic, Kasparas Jakucionis, Tre White
• The Illini earn back-to-back Braggin' Rights victories for the first time since a stretch of five straight wins over Mizzou from 2013-17.
  • The Illini defeated Missouri 97-73 last season. 
• The Fighting Illini improve to 2-2 away from State Farm Center, and 2-1 in neutral-site contests.
  • The Illini also defeated then-No. 19 Arkansas, 90-77, on Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City after a 100-87 loss to then-No. 8 Alabama in Birmingham on Nov. 20. 
• Illinois improves to 2-2 vs. SEC foes on the season. 
• Illinois shot .923 (22-23) from the free-throw line, a Braggin' Right record (min. 15 attempts), eclipsing the .886 (31-35) mark set in the 1986 matchup. 
  • The Illini's 22 free throw makes mark the fourth time this season they have made at least 20 free throws in a game.
    • Have also done so in three-straight games.
• The Illini limited the Tigers to just three 3-pointers in game, matching the fewest makes by an Illinois opponent this season.
• Illinois outrebounded Missouri 42-30, the 10th time this season the Illini have won the battle on the boards.
  • The Illini have recorded a +10 margin or better on the glass in six contests this season.
  • The Orange and Blue also held a 12-9 advantage on the offensive glass, scoring 13 second-chance points.