CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — — Jake Davis made five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points and Keaton Wagler had 11 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds as No. 20 Illinois closed out its non-conference schedule with a 90-55 win over Southern on Monday.
Zvonimir Ivisic had 13 points and three blocked shots, and his twin brother, Tomislav, added 11 points and seven rebounds for the Illini (10-3), who are averaging nearly 90 points and have five players averaging in double figures. Illinois ranks third in the nation in that category, behind Baylor and Michigan, each with six. David Mirkovic also scored 11 points.
Michael Jacobs scored 11 points for Southern (4-9), which lost its fifth straight and fell to 1-9 on the road. Jacobs was nine points below average and shot 3 of 16 from the floor. Malek Abdelgowad scored 10 points for the Jaguars.
Illinois topped South 45-26. The Illini lead the nation with seven players averaging more than four rebounds per game.
The Illini led 46-25 at halftime. They shot nearly 60 percent from the floor, made eight 3-pointers and scored 8 of 8 from the free throw line in the first half. Illinois finished 14 of 34 from long distance and 16 of 18 from the line.
Brad Underwood’s first game as coach at Illinois was a 102-55 win over Southern on Nov. 10, 2017. With Monday’s win, Underwood’s record in nine seasons leading the Illini is 175-104. Underwood is 10-0 in his career against the current 12 Southwestern Athletic Conference teams, 7-0 at Illinois.
The Illini are 19-0 all-time against current SWAC teams, including a 113-55 win over Jackson State on Nov. 3 in their season opener.
South: Hosts Texas Southern on Saturday.
Illinois: Plays Saturday against Penn State at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
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