Illinois gets its first win of the 2024-25 season in another home blowout where they were basically never challenged by a low-major Division I opponent.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

November 25, 2024

(Cover photo courtesy Joe Clark/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The fifth home game of Illinois’ 2024-25 season ended just about the same way as the other four.

Illinois built an early lead and poured it on an overmatched low-major Division I opponent in a 92-34 win over Arkansas Little-Rock.

The Illini (5-1) used a 32-7 run in the first half to turn a back-and-forth early game situation into a 31-point first half lead. Kasparas Jakucionis finished his 28-minute effort on Monday night with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists with only with two turnovers.

“Defensively it was a really good effort against a team that really can muck up a game and post their guards,” Illinois head coach Brad Underwood said. “It was a really good night against a solid team that had a really bad night against us.”

The 34 points scored by Little Rock (3-4), which is projected to win the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship, is the smallest total by an Illinois opponent since Underwood became the Illini head coach.

“I think it was all about defense and playing the game the right way,” Jakucionis said Monday night.

None of the Little Rock starters scored more than six points and shot 6 of 30 from the field while committing seven turnovers.

Illinois has won each of its first five home games this season by an average of 40.2 points per contest.

An aggressive effort from Tre White finished with 16 points and eight rebounds for the UCLA/Louisville transfer.

In the game before he’ll face his older brother in the next game on the schedule, Tomislav Ivisic finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes but Underwood applauded the 7-foot-1 center on his footwork in his helpside defense on Little Rock’s dribble-drive action.

Former Illinois head coach Bruce Weber received a standing ovation after the first media timeout as he was doing color commentary for the game on Big Ten Network.

The next time Illinois will take the court will be in Kansas City on Thanksgiving when they face No. 19 Arkansas (5-1) in a CBS game after the traditional Bears-Lions noon tipoff on the national holiday.