By Andrew Bailie Posted on

Washington Men put up a fight, but fall short 75-66 to No. 9 Illinois

The Washington Huskies (11-9, 3-6 in conference) played their fifth game in January against a ranked opponent on Wednesday night in Champaign, Illinois. The No. 9-ranked Illinois Illini (17-3, 8-1 in conference) were riding a nine-game winning streak and boasted the most efficient offense in the country. If the Huskies were to have a chance of winning, they would have to slow down the Illini’s freshman phenom Keaton Wagler. In Illinois’ 88-82 victory over Purdue, Wagler scored a season-high 46 points.

In addition to stopping Wagler, Washington would need to match the Illini’s torrid three-point shooting. Illinois came into the game making more threes (11.1 per game) than any team in the Big Ten. Boxing out on defense would be another big key to a win. The Illini featured the best offensive rebounding team in the conference (averaging 13.4 offensive rebounds a game).

Washington hangs in against Illinois early, but struggles to break through offensively

The Huskies’ offense started the game strong, but cooled off quickly. Hannes Steinbach, Bryson Tucker, and Wesley Yates made three of Washington’s first five field goals, as the Huskies went on a 7-0 run to begin the game. After an early offensive surge, the Huskies went cold, missing their next nine shots from the field. Illinois took advantage of Washington’s poor shooting and went on a run of its own. The Illini took the lead and control of the first half behind scoring from Wagler and David Mirkovic, with a 14-2 run. The Huskies’ offensive struggles prevented them from answering the Illini run. Washington finished the half shooting, making 11 of 28 field goals for 39.3% percentage. Despite their offensive struggles the Huskies were stellar on the defensive end. The Huskies’ defense held Illinois to just 12/29 (41.4%) from the field in the first half.

Washington hangs tough, but struggles from three and loses the second-chance scoring battle

The Illini maintained control of the game by outscoring the Dawgs in second-chance points and three-point shooting . Illinois had a 9-2 advantage in second-chance points, despite the two teams tying in offensive rebounds at four apiece. Even though they held the Illini to 5/14 (36%) from three, Washington struggled offensively from deep, shooting 2/12 (17%) from the perimeter. Behind better three-point shooting and second-chance scoring, Illinois took a 33-26 lead into halftime.

Washington continues to hold its own, but faces familiar struggles in the second half

Keeping the Illini off the offensive glass was one of the keys to the game, but the Huskies were unable to do so for all 40 minutes. Illinois held an 8-5 offensive rebounding advantage over the Huskies in the second half. The Illini made the most of their extra opportunities on offense, scoring 15 second-chance points, while Washington scored just four. The Huskies struggled from the three-point range, shooting 4/11 (36.4%). The Illini, despite shooting a lower percentage, made more threes, going 6/19 (31.6%) from the perimeter.

The Huskies stayed competitive with the Illini until the end of the game

Three Washington players combined for 28 second-half points. Zoom Diallo led the Husky scoring attack with 12 points. Steinbach also scored nine points, and J.J. Mandaquit chipped in seven points to keep the Huskies in the game. Illinois was able to counter Washington’s scoring with more sensational play from Wagler, who led a trio of Illini players who combined for 31 points.

The freshman phenom was the maestro of Illinois’ offense. Wagler scored 11 points and collected five assists in the game’s final 20 minutes (finishing with a team-high 22 points and eight assists). Mirkovic added another 11 points for the Illini, while Ben Humrichous scored each of his nine points from the perimeter. Illinois’ balanced scoring attack helped them hold off a Washington comeback, as the Illini defeated the Huskies 75-66.

What’s next for Washington

The next three games will be crucial for the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament hopes. Following a disappointing loss to Illinois, Washington plays its last three games against Quad 1 opponents. The Huskies play the first of those three contests against the Northwestern Wildcats (10-11, 2-8 in conference) on Saturday in Evansville, Illinois. After facing Northwestern, the Huskies will play Iowa and UCLA next week. Washington needs to win each of these upcoming games to bolster its tournament resume.

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