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The Illinois Fighting Illini (16-11, 5-9) will look to get back on track against the No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (22-5, 10-4) on Tuesday night.
Illinois' luck does not appear as though it is about to change, as the Ohio State Buckeyes got off to a blistering start from the field and take a 42-26 lead into the break.
Related: Illinois and Ohio State: Things Look A Little Different Now
Ohio State jumped out to a 19-4 lead, and although the Illini have been competitive since then, they haven't been good enough to make a dent in the margin. The Buckeyes shot nearly 70% from the field in the half, including 5-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Deshaun Thomas leads OSU with 11 points, and Aaron Craft has eight.
Illinois, on the other hand, shot just 26.7%. Meyers Leonard has 14 points and Brandon Paul has seven.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Illinois blog Hail to the Orange. For more from around college hoops, head over to SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.
Back on January 10, the Illinois Fighting Illini played perhaps the best game of their season they knocked off the then No. 5 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes behind 43 points from junior guard Brandon Paul. Since then the Illini have dropped eight of nine and now there is speculation that Bruce Weber might be on the outs. Paul has continued his strong scoring since the win over OSU, but his turnovers have seriously spiked along the way. His most recent performance -- 2 points on 1-7 shooting -- is one of his worst of the season, so Paul will need to turn things around if the Illini hope to knock off OSU again.
Sophomore forward Jared Sullinger is still the biggest threat on Ohio State. He averages 17.5 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and scored 21 points on 9-16 shooting in the first matchup, but grabbed on 5 rebounds in the process. Illinois big Meyers Leonard will have to step up his defensive presence in the paint and match sullinger's post scoring if Illinois hopes to control the pace of the game on the road.
Here is some basic information to help you find the action on Tuesday.
Illinois Fighting Illini (16-11, 5-9) at No. 8 Ohio State Buckeyes (22-5, 10-4)
Game date, time: 6:00 PM CT, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012
Location: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
TV: ESPN, ESPN3
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Illinois blog Hail to the Orange. For more from around college hoops, head over to SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.
Illinois Vs. Ohio State Final Score: Illini Blown Out Vs. No. 9 Ohio State
The funeral procession for Illinois Fighting Illini coach Bruce Weber continued on Tuesday in Columbus when the No. 9 Ohio State Buckeyes drilled the Illini 83-67 in a game that was never in jeopardy for Thad Matta's crew. It's the sixth straight loss for Illinois after defeating Big 10 powerhouse Michigan State, and also the sixth consecutive game the Illini have given up 75 points or more. Illinois has now lost nine of its last 10 games. The loss drops the Illini to 16-12, 5-10 Big Ten. OSU improves to 23-5, 11-4.
Ohio State wasn't about to let Illinois hang around like they did during their previous meeting, when guard Brandon Paul powered an Illini upset in Champaign. This time, the Buckeyes outscored Illinois 42-26 in the first half, effectively putting the game out of reach. Deshaun Thomas (19 points, five rebounds) and senior guard William Buford (17 points) did most of the damage in the win for Ohio State.
Sophomore center Meyers Leonard scored 21 points to lead Illinois. Guard D.J. Richardson added 12 points and six rebounds. Paul was just 2-of-9 from the field, scoring nine points.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage, visit Illinois blog Hail to the Orange. For more from around college hoops, head over to SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.
Feb 21 8:19p by Ricky O'Donnell