Ben Humrichous scores 21 points, No. 13 Illinois routs Penn State 91-52

[January 09, 2025]   By STEVE STEIN

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Ben Humrichous scored a season-high 21 points, Morez Johnson Jr. had a career-high 20 points along with 11 rebounds and No. 13 Illinois beat Penn State 91-52 on Wednesday night for its fifth straight victory.

Illinois' Morez Johnson Jr. goes up the basket past Freddie Dilione V during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Penn State, Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)

Tre White also had 20 points to help Illinois (12-3, 4-1 Big Ten) win with scoring leader Kasparas Jakucionis sidelined by a bruised forearm.

Penn State star Ace Baldwin Jr. aggravated a back injury early in the first half and didn’t play in the second half. He didn’t score, missing all six of his shots.

Nick Kern Jr. had 13 points for the Nittany Lions (12-4, 2-3). Zach Hicks added 11.

Takeaways
Illinois: After sweeping No. 9 Oregon and Washington on a West Coast trip, Illinois was tasked with beating nemesis Penn State without Jakucionis, whose absence was announced just before the game. Humrichous and Johnson made up for the loss of Jakucionis.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions came into the night as the 10th-highest scoring team in the nation, averaging 86.8 points. They had scored a program record 80-plus points in six straight games. Penn State shot 31% against Illinois.

Key moment
A 21-2 Illini run in the first half gave them a 26-13 lead. Penn State missed nine straight shots during the stretch, going 7:56 without a field goal.

Up next
Illinois: Hosts Southern California on Saturday.

Penn State: Hosts No. 9 Oregon on Sunday.

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