While the opening four games of Big 10 play haven't necessarily been a thing of beauty for the Illinois Fighting Illini, you will be hard-pressed to find many people upset with the 3-1 start in conference play. Although the offense still wasn't clicking on all cylinders, Illinois was able to rally for a key 59-54 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The play of Joseph Bertrand keyed the win, as the sophomore guard was simply unstoppable on the offensive end. Bertrand netted a game-high 25 points on 11/12 shooting from the field. Brandon Paul was the only other player to score in double-digits for Illinois, netting 11 points and pulling down six rebounds in the win.
Nebraska used a balanced offensive attack to stay in the game, with three guys scoring in double-figures. Bo Spencer led the way with 13 points, while Toney McCray scored 12. The Cornhuskers shot 50% from the field as a team, but committed 20 turnovers in the loss.
Be sure to visit Hail to the Orange, SB Nation's Illinois blog, as well as Corn Nation, SB Nation's Nebraska blog for more on each team.