CHAMPAIGN, Ill — The Illini were in the zone on Tuesday night.
Brad Underwood secured win No. 100 in his Illini career and Coleman Hawkins had his first-career triple-double as Illinois topped Syracuse 73-44 at State Farm Center in their final Big Ten/ACC Challenge game ever.
It was a slow and sloppy start for both teams, but the Illini (6-1) showed why they are ranked No. 16 in the country — proving to be too much for the Orange.
If there’s one thing you know about taking on head coach Jim Boeheim and Syracuse (3-4), it’s that you are going to see a heavy dose of the 2-3 zone, as that is what Boeheim is known for.