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The Fighting Illini travel to Minnesota on Saturday night looking to finish off a regular season sweep of the Gophers while also trying to end a two-game skid.
Related: Illinois Still Has Plenty To Fix, And Little Time To Fix It
In the first meeting between these two, Illinois prevailed in two overtimes, largely on the strength of its defense, which allowed 72 points in 81 possessions. The Illini forced Minnesota into an off shooting day and cleaned up the defensive boards, which made it tough for the Gophers to find traction. A repeat of that defensive effort would go a long way toward delivering a big road win for Illinois.
Brandon Paul led the Illinois offense with 21 points in that game.
Date & Time: Saturday, Jan. 28, 7:00 p.m. CT
TV: Big Ten Network
Odds: Minnesota is favored by 4-1/2
Series History: Illinois leads 115-62
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage of this matchup, head over to Illinois blog Hail to the Orange and Minnesota blog The Daily Gopher. For more from around college hoops, visit SB Nation's NCAA basketball news hub.