CHAMPAIGN — Ben Humrichous scored a season-high 21 points, Morez Johnson Jr. had a career-high 20 points along with 11 rebounds and No. 13 Illinois men’s basketball beat Penn State 91-52 on Wednesday for its fifth straight victory.
Tre White also had 20 points to help the Fighting Illini (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten) win with scoring leader Kasparas Jakucionis sidelined by a bruised forearm.
Nittany Lions star Ace Baldwin Jr. aggravated a back injury early in the first half and didn’t play in the second half. He didn’t score, missing all six of his shots.
Nick Kern Jr. had 13 points for the Nittany Lions (12-4, 2-3). Zach Hicks added 11.
Takeaways
Illinois: After sweeping No. 9 Oregon and Washington on a West Coast trip, the Illini were tasked with beating a nemesis without Jakucionis, whose absence was announced just before the game. Humrichous and Johnson made up for the loss of Jakucionis.
Penn State: The Nittany Lions came into the night as the 10th-highest-scoring team in the nation, averaging 86.8 points. They had scored a program-record 80-plus points in six straight games. They shot 31% against the Illini.
Key moment
A 21-2 Illini run in the first half gave them a 26-13 lead. The Nittany Lions missed nine straight shots during the stretch, going 7:56 without a field goal.
Up next
Illinois: Hosts Southern California on Saturday.
Penn State: Hosts No. 9 Oregon on Sunday.
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