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Ben Humrichous tallies 21 points as No. 13 Illinois dominates Penn State 91-52

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Ben Humrichous tallies 21 points as No. 13 Illinois dominates Penn State 91-52

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a stellar performance, Ben Humrichous netted a career-high 21 points while Morez Johnson Jr. contributed a personal-best 20 points and secured 11 rebounds, powering No. 13 Illinois to a decisive 91-52 victory over Penn State Wednesday night. This win marked the Illini’s fifth consecutive triumph this season.

Tre White also shone with 20 points, stepping up in the absence of leading scorer Kasparas Jakucionis, who was sidelined due to a bruised forearm. The Illinois squad demonstrated depth and resilience, cementing their dominance in the contest.

On the opposing side, Ace Baldwin Jr., an influential player for Penn State, faced challenges early on as he re-aggravated a back injury, rendering him unable to play in the second half. He ended the night with no points after missing all six of his shot attempts. For the Nittany Lions, Nick Kern Jr. contributed 13 points, while Zach Hicks added 11 to the team’s tally.

Observations from the Game:

Illinois managed to overcome the absence of Jakucionis effectively, having previously swept past No. 9 Oregon and Washington on their West Coast trip. The impressive efforts of Humrichous and Johnson helped the team secure a strong win against their rival, Penn State.

Penn State, known for its high-scoring prowess—ranking as the 10th-highest scoring team nationally with an average of 86.8 points—struggled significantly during this matchup. They had previously achieved a program record by scoring over 80 points in six back-to-back games, but against Illinois, they faced tough defense, managing only 31% shooting from the field.

A critical moment in the game arose from a substantial 21-2 run by the Illini in the first half, which propelled them to a 26-13 lead. During this period, Penn State went cold, failing to make a single basket for nearly eight minutes, missing nine consecutive shots.

Looking ahead, Illinois will host Southern California this coming Saturday, while Penn State prepares for a home game against No. 9 Oregon on Sunday.