John Groce’s 16-12 Illini will win more basketball games this season if they continue the smothering defense that stifled Northwestern, 66-50, on Tuesday night.
This was domination.
With a disappointing State Farm Center crowd attending — it was well below the announced figure of 11,206 — the hosts held the 20-win Wildcats to five second-half field goals, and none for 91/2 minutes from 10:38 to 1:10 at the end.
If individual honors belonged to Malcolm Hill — 18 points, five assists, five rebounds — it was Leron Black who set the tone with a jumper, a trey and a tip-in for a 13-5 getaway.