Mathurins scores 29 in victory
Kriisa adds 19 points as Wildcats stay unbeaten
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Bennedict Mathurin had 29 points and guard Kerr Kriisa put up 19 in a gutsy performance at a packed and noisy State Farm Center to keep the Wildcats undefeated with an 82-79 win over hot-shooting Illinois.
Kriisa made just 2 of 8 3s but hit 7 of 16 shots overall and had eight rebounds and four assists, driving fearlessly inside down the stretch when Illinois kept threatening to pull it out.
The win moved Arizona to 9-0 and likely into the Top 10 of the Associated Press Top 25 poll Monday, while Illinois dropped to 7-3.
The Wildcats led 79-76 entering the final minute but Kriisa turned it over, after UA received the ball back when Kriisa kept a ball from heading out of bounds and bounced it off Frazier. But Illinois missed a 3-pointer and, after the rebound rolled out of bounds, Alfonso Plummer was called for a five-second violation in the Illini backcourt.
That gave the ball back to Arizona with 26 seconds left and Kriisa was fouled, hitting the first of two ensuing free throws to all but seal it up for the Wildcats. Illinois missed two 3s on its next possession and, after Mathurin hit two free throws with four seconds left, Frazier hit his final 3 with 3 seconds left to cut it to 82-79 with three seconds left.
Having allowed opponents to shoot just 27.7% from 3-point range entering the game, the 36th best defensive 3point percentage nationally, the Wildcats allowed the Illini to hit 15 of 32 from long range. That was a full eight 3-pointers less than the seven the Wildcats made on 18 attempts.
Mathurin led Arizona with 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting while making 5 of 8 3-pointes, while Kriisa added 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
For Illinois, Alfonso Plummer had 25 points and Trent Frazier 24.
Trailing 42-38 at halftime, Arizona went on a 12-0 run early in the second half to go ahead 57-50 with 12 minutes left but the Illini then hit another four 3pointers over the next three minutes to take a 64-61 lead. Plummer and Jacob
Grandison each hit two 3s while Frazier added another over that stretch.
The Wildcats outrebounded Illinois 16-7 and shot 55.65 over the first 12 minutes of the second half but the game remained within two possessions most of the rest of the way.
In the first half, Frazier scored 16 firsthalf points and powered a 19-0 Illinois run that helped the Illini take a 42-38 lead.
The first half was all about runs, with UA jumping to a 10-3 lead early, then Illinois went on its 19-0 run and the Wildcats came back with a 10-0 run late in the first half.
The Illini shot 45.7% from the field and hit 8 of 19 3-pointers overall in the first half, with Frazier making 3 of 7 and former Utah guard Alfonso Plummer making 3 of 8.
Arizona shot only 38.1%, though the Wildcats scored 16 points off 10 Illinois turnovers.
Mathurin led Arizona in the half with 17 points while shooting 6 for 9 overall and 3 of 5 from 3-point range.
The Wildcats were again playing without reserve forward Kim Aiken for unspecified reasons while also having to shake off a four-hour delay on their Friday night arrival because of their plane’s diversion to Indianapolis because of bad weather.
Jumping out to a 10-3 lead, the Wildcats played their usual game early despite two quick fouls to guard Dalen Terry that put Pelle Larsson in the game. Mathurin hit two 3-pointers over that stretch and blocked a shot from Illinois’ Coleman Hawkins. Larsson then stole the ball at midcourt and drove inside for
a layup that made it 10-3.
After Cockburn scored inside for Illinois, Mathurin came back again to feed Azuolas Tubelis in the post, and Tubelis then dished it to Koloko as he slashed down the left sidelines.
But Frazier scored 14 of the Illini’s 19 points over their 19-0 run during a stretch of 3 minutes and 50 seconds midway through the half. Frazier hit 3 3pointers, while also making a threepoint play after stealing the ball from UA’s Kerr Kriisa and picking up a foul from Kriisa on his layup.
The Illini also received an inside basket from Cockburn and a 3-pointer from Plummer, Larsson’s teammate at Utah last season before he transferred to Illinois.
But UA responded with a 10-0 run of its own to pull within 37-34 with 3:47 left, when Oumar Ballo dunked.