CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Interstat) — Illinois remained undefeated Tuesday night, outlasting Texas Tech 81-77 in a back-and-forth men’s basketball game at State Farm Center. The Fighting Illini improved to 3-0, while the Red Raiders fell to 2-1.

Texas Tech’s JT Toppin scored a game-high 35 points, but Illinois countered with a balanced attack. Kylan Boswell scored 22 points and Andrej Stojakovic added 23 for the Illini, who overcame a second-half surge after leading 45-32 at halftime. The Illini secured the win at the free-throw line, making 16 of 23 attempts compared to just 3 of 4 for the Red Raiders. A crowd of 15,544 attended the contest.