Illinois 79, at Northwestern 68

EVANSTON, Ill. (Interstat) — In a rugged Big Ten contest defined by offensive rebounding and efficient shot-making, the Illinois Fighting Illini used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from the Northwestern Wildcats for a 79-68 victory on Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The game, played before a crowd of 7,039, saw Illinois improve to 14-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play, while Northwestern dropped to 8-9 and 0-5 in the Big Ten. The most critical phase of the game unfolded over a five-minute stretch late in the second half. Leading 61-59 with just under seven minutes remaining, Illinois unleashed… Read more...