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The Fighting Illini (2-0) went on a 15-4 run
over the first five minutes of the second half, making 6 of 7
shots in that span to turn a 41-37 halftime lead into a 56-41
advantage. The Antelopes fought back to make it close, but
couldn't overcome the deficit.
The Antelopes rallied to four points down, 71-67, on a Carlos
Johnson layup with 4:12 to play. But Illinois scored the next
six points and avoided the upset.
Andres Feliz added 21 points and Alan Griffin 11 for Illinois,
which heads south to Tucson to play No. 21 Arizona on Sunday.
Cockburn logged his second double-double of the season after
scoring 10 points with 11 rebounds in the Illini's 78-70
overtime win over Nicholls on Tuesday at home.
Grand Canyon (0-2) got 18 points from junior guard Isiah Brown,
and 14 from guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. Center Alessandro Lever,
who fouled out with 10:08 to play, had 12 points in 16 minutes.
Illinois dominated inside with the 7-foot Cockburn and 6-9
Giorgi Bezhanishvili making a difference at both ends of the
court. The Illini out-rebounded Grand Canyon 52-26 with a 20-6
advantage on the offensive glass.
Illinois took a nine-point lead, 23-14, on a lob from Ayo
Dosunmu to Cockburn for a dunk, and Dosunmu hit a jumper seconds
later for the Fighting Illini's largest lead of the first half,
25-14, at the 10:58 mark.
The Antelopes responded with an 8-0 run, largely without
Cockburn on the floor for the Illini.
The teams played for the first time in Phoenix, two years after
Illinois defeated Grand Canyon 62-58 in Champaign, Ill.
The Antelopes are 0-4 all-time against Big 10 opponents, and
hosted a team from one of the Power Five conferences for just
the second time.
--Field Level Media
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