CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Will Riley made a significant impact in the second half, scoring 19 points as No. 25 Illinois secured a dominant 87-40 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday.

Kylan Boswell contributed 13 points to the effort, while Tomislav Ivisic added 11 and Morez Johnson Jr. rounded out the scoring with 10 points for the Illini, now boasting a 4-1 record. Although they only managed a 25% shooting rate from beyond the arc (10 for 40), they effectively minimized their mistakes with just nine turnovers.

On the boards, Tre White stood out with 11 rebounds and Kasparas Jakucionis supported him with seven, helping Illinois overpower the Hawks in rebounding, 59-38.

For Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6), Jalen Ware notched 10 points and Christopher Flippin achieved 10 rebounds, but the team struggled overall, recording its lowest point total of the season. Their previous low came from a 102-63 defeat against Vanderbilt on November 4.

Illinois continues to impress at home, remaining undefeated across four games played at their venue, while Maryland Eastern Shore is yet to find success in six road contests this season.

Key observations from the game include Illinois bouncing back from a recent 100-87 defeat to No. 8 Alabama. They faced little challenge against the Hawks, leading comfortably at halftime with a score of 35-15 and later extending the gap to as much as 52 points.

Maryland Eastern Shore faced difficulties keeping pace with Illinois’ height and depth, compounded by 15 turnovers that hindered their offensive execution.

A pivotal moment of the game occurred when, after a slow start, Illinois unleashed a 17-0 scoring streak over a seven-minute span, securing a 25-8 lead with just over five minutes left in the first half.

Statistically, the Hawks’ shooting was dismal, landing at only 22% from the field (15 for 68), which included a mere 5 for 20 from three-point territory.

Looking ahead, Illinois is scheduled to host Little Rock on Monday, while Maryland Eastern Shore will visit No. 20 Arkansas on the same day.