Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 18 points, Terrence Shannon Jr. added 16 and No. 25 Illinois pulled away in the second half to beat Eastern Illinois 80-52 in a season opener for both teams. Twelve players scored for the Illini as they used their depth to turn away the Panthers.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn scored 18 points, Terrence Shannon Jr. added 16 and No. 25 Illinois pulled away in the second half to beat Eastern Illinois 80-52 in a season opener for both teams on Monday night.Gibbs-Lawhorn, a freshman on a team of mostly veteran players, was impressive in his Illini debut. The slender 6-foot-1 guard shot 7 of 10 from the field, including a one-handed dunk in the first half that ignited the State Farm Center crowd.
Illinois started slowly. Eastern Illinois took an early 15-6 lead before the sluggish Illini rallied. It took a 10-point run in the final 3:03 of the first half to give Illinois its 12-point halftime lead. The Illini led at the break despite making just 4 of 17 3-pointers and shooting 3 for 10 on free throws.After beating No. 1 Kansas in an exhibition game, the Illini came out flat against their in-state foe and paid the price, struggling for much of the first half. It was not a terribly impressive victory for a ranked team.
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