Jacob Grandison scored a game-high 20 points Tuesday night and Coleman Hawkins added 13 as No. 11 Illinois overcame the absence of three starters to rout Jackson State 71-47 in each team’s season opener in Champaign, Ill.
In a game rife with turnovers and poor shooting, the Fighting Illini simply flexed their considerable muscles against their Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent. They dominated the Tigers 45-25 on the boards, more than making up for 43.6 percent field-goal shooting and 19 turnovers.
Jackson State never led and never cut the margin under 10 for the game’s final 35:05. The Tigers connected on just 37.3 percent of their field-goal attempts and hacked up 20 turnovers. Freshman Coltie Young came off the bench to score 12 points for Jackson State.
Jonas James and preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year Jayveous McKinnis chipped in 11 each. McKinnis also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and made five steals.
Illinois held Jackson State without a point for three different stretches of nearly five minutes apiece, including a 6:12 drought midway through the second half. The Illini pushed a 15-point margin to 51-26 and coasted through the game’s remainder.
The main storyline prior to tipoff was the lack of proven punch on the Illinois roster. In addition to All-America center Kofi Cockburn, serving the first game of a three-game NCAA suspension, the Illini also played without starting guards Andre Curbelo (concussion) and Trent Frazier (shoulder). Austin Hutcherson (bruised tailbone) also sat out.
Nevertheless, Illinois still overwhelmed Jackson State over the first 12 minutes, opening up a 21-2 lead at the 9:40 mark when Hawkins connected on a 3-pointer. It took the Tigers nearly 6 1/2 minutes to score and then almost another five minutes to score again.
However, Jackson State found its range after that and actually got as close as 11 before Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk converted a layup with 14.2 seconds left to send the Illini into the locker room with a 30-17 lead.
–Field Level Media
