Cockburn's double-double helps Illinois upset No. 5 Michigan

[December 12, 2019]    Freshman center Kofi Cockburn powered for 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and Illinois upset No. 5 Michigan 71-62 at Champaign, Ill., on Wednesday.

Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) holds back forward Giorgi Bezhanishvili (15) during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Ayo Dosunmu supplied 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists for the Fighting Illini (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten). Andres Feliz contributed 13 points, and Giorgi Bezhanishvili had 12 points and eight rebounds.

Jon Teske led the Wolverines (8-2, 1-1) with 16 points and seven rebounds. Eli Brooks and Isaiah Livers scored 12 points apiece, and Zavier Simpson added nine points and eight assists.

The Illini shot 45.9 percent from the field while Michigan shot 43.5 percent. Illinois controlled the boards 44-28.

The Illini opened the second half with a 12-6 run to gain a 42-34 lead. Cockburn got it going with a layup, and Bezhanishvili finished it with another layup.

Cockburn gave the Illini the first double-digit lead of the contest, 54-44, on two free throws with 9:07 remaining. Baskets by Livers and Brooks cut Illinois' lead to six.

Bezhanishvili's driving dunk with 6:03 remaining restored the 10-point advantage at 58-48. Cockburn's put-back of a missed Feliz shot with 3:09 remaining made it 66-54. On the play, Cockburn swung his arm in celebration and accidentally struck official Lewis Garrison, who was forced to leave the game.

The Wolverines then made a comeback. Teske scored the next five points and David DeJulius had a steal and a three-point play to make it a four-point game. Feliz hit a mid-range shot to halt the run. Cockburn split free throws with 58.4 seconds left to make it 69-62 and put the game away.

Illinois scored 26 of its first-half points in the lane and led 30-28 at halftime. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc before the break, as the Illini missed all seven of its 3-point attempts while Michigan went 2-for-12.

Feliz led Illinois with eight first-half points while Teske topped Michigan with nine points.

The Illini took a 22-17 lead with an 8-2 spurt that included four layups, two by Feliz. Michigan answered with a 9-2 run that featured five points from Livers. A Cockburn bucket in the final minute of the half put Illinois back on top.

--Field Level Media

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.