Illinois ends skid with win over Iowa

[January 26, 2017]  CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Sophomore power forward Michael Finke came off the bench to lead a balanced effort as Illinois snapped a three-game losing streak with a 76-64 Big Ten win over Iowa on Wednesday night at State Farm Center.

Finke scored 12 of his game-high 17 points in the first half for Illinois (13-8, 3-5). Senior center Maverick Morgan (12 points, 7 rebounds), senior swingman Malcolm Hill (11 points) and sophomore forward Leron Black (10 points, 7 rebounds) also contributed double figures as Iowa never got closer than nine points in the final 30 minutes.

Iowa (11-10, 3-5), which lost its third game in a row, received just 10 points from Big Ten scoring leader Peter Jok. The senior guard entered the night averaging 21.6 points per game, but favored his injured back throughout the night and finished 3 of 9 from the field with four turnovers in 32 minutes. Sophomore forwards Nicolas Baer and Ahmad Wagner led the Hawkeyes with 12 points apiece off the bench.

Illinois raced out to a 10-0 lead on its way to a 40-24 bulge at the break. Finke came off the bench to drill 5 of 6 shots for 12 points and spark Illinois' 55 percent shooting. Finke hit two 3-pointers as the Illini outscored the Hawkeyes 18-3 from the 3-point arc in the first half.

Jok took just four shots and scored just four points in 16 first-half minutes and his young teammates (four freshman starters) couldn't pick up the slack. The Hawkeyes shot 37 percent from the field and 33 percent at the line during the first half.

Iowa had a chance to rally when Hill picked up his fourth foul with 11:40 to play and Illinois holding a 52-39 lead. Though it took the Illini some time to adjust to their leading scorer's absence, they wound up pushing the lead as high as 18 points as Morgan kept breaking free on the pick-and-roll with freshman point guard Te'Jon Lucas.

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Ryan Kriener (15) and guard Peter Jok (14) box out Illinois Fighting Illini center Mike Thorne Jr. (33) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports

Morgan canned two free throws on one possession, then converted a layup for a 3-point play on the next possession. That opened space for his teammates to contribute as sophomore forward Leron Black canned a layup off a Morgan feed, senior point guard Tracy Abrams cashed a 3-pointer and senior guard Jaylon Tate drove for a 3-point play to push Illinois' lead to 65-47 with 6:16 to go.

Iowa got as close as 66-57 on Wagner's uncontested layup with 3:29 to go, but the Hawkeyes missed their next three shots to short-circuit their rally.

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