CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illini fans came to State Farm Center Friday night expecting an encouraging exhibition win for Illinois’ first home game of the season. The outcome had a lot more to it than that.
Illinois nearly pulled off a magical second-half comeback after trailing by 19 at halftime, but fans ultimately walked home with frowns on their faces after Illinois fell to Baylor 95-91 and lost multiple key players to injury on the same night. With David Mirkovic seen back in a boot and scooter during
pregame warmups, Illinois fans didn’t think Friday night could get much worse—but it did.
Facing off against Baylor’s fire-powered offense, shooting 61% from 3-point range in the first half and tallying *63* first-half points, neither Illinois’ offense nor defense was able to keep up at the start. However, Illinois began mounting a comeback out of the tunnel in the second half.
They picked it up big time, riding a wave of momentum from an Andrej Stojakovic corner-three and slam dunk out of the tunnel. They improved on the boards, they took care of the ball and they finally found a way to slow down the Bears offense, holding them to just 32 second-half points.
But as Illinois inched closer, the injuries piled up. Zvonimir Ivisic and Stojakovic both were shaken up after hard falls, seemingly head injuries. They both went to the locker room and did not return. Tomislav Ivisic limped off the court midway through the second half, but was able to return to the bench.
Despite these three injuries, Illinois stayed determined. Lincoln Williams, Quentin Coleman, Ethan Brown, Jake Davis and Jason Jakstys kept the Illini chugging along, cutting the deficit to just four points with a few minutes left, but the comeback ultimately fell just short.
Illinois felt preseason All-American selection David Mirkovic’s absence, struggling on the boards and in the paint. Head coach Brad Underwood consistently emphasizes the importance of offensive rebounding and second-chance buckets, and Illinois thrived at getting back a big chunk of its misses last season. But Friday night, Baylor beat Illinois with its own poison, winning the rebound battle and second-chance points battle.
Freshman guard Quentin Coleman did his best to keep the Illini afloat, leading the scoring with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Before his hard fall, Andrej Stojakovic tallied 15 points and knocked down six free throws, continuing to flash his ability to drive to the rim and draw fouls. Freshman Ethan Brown put up another solid statline and impressed yet again with seven points, two rebounds and two assists. After slow starts in the first half, Stefan Vaaks and Jake Davis picked up the scoring in the second in hopes of finishing off the comeback, combining for 23 second-half points.
On offense, Illinois’ early turnovers and missed shots cost them. On defense, lack of rebounds and aggression in the paint played a factor, but the main cause of the first half deficit was simply Baylor catching fire from range.
Stat Stuffers
Kayden Mingo: 24 points, four rebounds and four assists
Isaac Williams: 28 points, 11-20 FG, 3-5 3FG
Stefan Vaaks: 18 points, five assists, 4-8 3FG
Jake Davis: 10 points, three rebounds, four assists, 3-4 3FG
Up Next
Illinois will host UIC at State Farm Center Oct. 28 for its last exhibition matchup before the season kicks off.
