CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Getting back on track feels nice, doesn’t it?
The Illini were able to fight off a hot Mississippi Valley State start to secure an 86-67 win Sunday afternoon at State Farm Center. The win snaps a four-game losing streak for Illinois (2-4) after a tough trip to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.
This game was meant to serve as a “tune-up” for Coach Underwood before the schedule got tough again with a stretch of Notre Dame, Nebraska, Ohio State, and then, UNLV still to come. Illinois got a chance to practice against a zone defense, Samba Kane provided some productive minutes on the bench, and the coaching staff started to go big.