The Fighting Illini defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 92-73 Saturday afternoon at the State Farm Center in Champaign, IL. Tracy Abrams and Leron Black both had career high point totals in the contest, as the Illini earned their 8th victory of the season.
Both Illinois and Central Michigan opened 12 of 17 from the field. The Illini would then open up a 19 point lead that saw the Chippewas go scoreless from the field over a 7 minute span. After the Illinois run, Central Michigan would go on a 13-0 run of their own. The lead would eventually be cut to 5 as the Chips looked to regain momentum late in the opening half, but a 5 point run from Tracy Abrams would give Illinois a 46-36 halftime lead.