Will Riley scored 24 points, and freshman Morez Johnson Jr. contributed 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds as No. 18 Illinois overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Ohio State 87-79 on Sunday in Champaign, Illinois.
Kylan Boswell added 14 points, and Tomislav Ivisic, returning from illness, had 12 points for Illinois (15-7, 7-5 Big Ten). This victory came after the Illini had lost four of their last six games.
Devin Royal led Ohio State (13-9, 5-6) with 29 points, including 19 in the first half, and Bruce Thornton scored 22. Ohio State’s three-game winning streak was snapped with the loss.
The Buckeyes extended their six-point halftime lead to as much as 52-41 with 15:53 left on a 3-pointer from Thornton. However, Illinois fought back and tied the game 56-56 on a Riley 3-pointer with 11:22 remaining. Riley scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half.
Illinois took its first lead at 70-68 with 6:04 left after a layup and free throw by Boswell. The Illini then went on a 15-0 run, making it 78-68 with 2:45 remaining. Ohio State never got closer than six points after that.
The Illini had struggled in two of their last three games without Ivisic, the 7-foot-1 sophomore center, who had been out with mononucleosis. Ivisic made an impact early in this game. Ohio State had a 14-13 lead when Ivisic hit a 3-pointer from several feet beyond the arc. He followed that with a dunk, drawing a foul and completing the 3-point play to tie the game at 16-16.
Royal helped Ohio State build a 42-36 lead at halftime, making 8 of 12 shots, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Ohio State shot 54.5% from beyond the arc in the first half, while Illinois struggled, going just 3 of 15 from 3-point range.
The first half featured six lead changes and three ties. Illinois went on a 10-0 run early, only for Ohio State to answer with a 10-0 run of its own to lead 29-23. Illinois then had another 10-0 run, capped by a Boswell 3-pointer, to go up 35-34 before Ohio State finished the half on an 8-1 run.
