Illinois 62, Minnesota 49

[February 20, 2014]  MINNEAPOLIS — Illinois 62, Minnesota 49: Nnanna Egwu recorded 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks as the visiting Fighting Illini rallied past the Golden Gophers.

Kendrick Nunn equaled his career high with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, for Illinois (15-12, 4-10 Big Ten), which has held its last two opponents to less than 50 points. Tracy Abrams chipped in with 13 points and a game-high six assists for the Fighting Illini, who finished 8-of-13 from beyond the arc.

Andre Hollins led the way with 15 points for Minnesota (17-10, 6-8), which shot 37.3 percent from the field. Austin Hollins and Maurice Walker each scored 10 points for the Golden Gophers, who went a dismal 4-of-25 from 3-point range.

Minnesota raced out to a 14-3 lead as Illinois missed nine of its first 10 shots before Nunn knocked down three 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes to help the Fighting Illini pull within 27-24. Egwu hit a jump hook to give Illinois its first lead of the game and Jon Ekey's tip shot capped an 8-0 run to stretch the Fighting Illini's advantage to 32-27.

Walker's driving layup put Minnesota back on top 35-34 before Nunn hit two straight triples to give Illinois a five-point cushion with just under 12 minutes remaining. The Fighting Illini pulled ahead 46-35 after Nunn's dunk and they went on to record their third straight win over the Golden Gophers.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Illinois started off 8-of-25 from the floor before finishing 19-of-45. … The Fighting Illini have won 11 of their last 13 games at Williams Arena. … Austin Hollins grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to help Minnesota win the battle of the boards 35-29.

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