IlliniGuys Staff

December 11, 2021

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Trent Frazier scored 27 points and hit six 3-pointers, but Illinois came up short in its upset bid of #11 Arizona, 83-79.

The Illini (7-3) hit 16 threes in the game.  Alfonso Plummer matched Frazier with six treys and finished with 25 points.  Jacob Grandison connected on four of his shots from behind the arc as part of his 14 points off bench.   Kofi Cockburn had 13 points and 13 rebounds to notch his 33rd career double-double.

Illinois went on a 19-0 run - keyed by 11 straight points from Frazier - in the first half to take 37-24 lead, but Arizona (9-0) answered with an 8-0 run of its own.

With the Wildcats focusing on keeping the ball out of Cockburn's hands, the Illinois guards kept hitting shots.  Plummer went on a personal 8-0 run, a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around two free throws, to give Illinois a 64-61 lead.  Then after six straight points from Arizona's Kerr Kriisa, Cockburn hit five in a row to put Illinois back on top, 69-67 with 6:19 to go.  But Illinois managed just three field goals the rest of the way.

Benedict Mathurin scored a game-high 30 points for Arizona.

Illinois has a week off before hosting St. Francis (Pennsylvania) next Saturday at State Farm Center.

Stay with IlliniGuys for complete postgame coverage and analysis.