Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis hit a 12-foot fadeaway with 28 seconds left to snap the game’s final tie as Illinois claimed an 80-77 victory over Missouri in the Braggin’ Rights Classic on Sunday afternoon in St. Louis.
Jakucionis finished with a game-high 21 points for Illinois (8-3) as he scored 20-plus for the sixth game in a row. Kylan Boswell added 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists while Tre White notched 13 points and eight rebounds, and Tomislav Ivisic posted 11 points and 10 boards.
The Illini converted 22 of 23 free throws — the only miss coming with 8.1 seconds left and Boswell trying to put the game out of reach — and won the rebound battle 42-30.
Missouri (10-2) had a chance to tie at the buzzer, but Jacob Crews’ open 3-pointer hit the back of the rim.
Tony Perkins and Mark Mitchell produced 18 points and six rebounds apiece, while Tamar Bates contributed 17 points for the Tigers, who saw their 10-game winning streak come to a close despite forcing 17 turnovers.
Illinois took a 16-10 lead mostly on four 3-pointers, two by Jakucionis, but the Tigers switched to a zone to cool off the Illini and rallied for a 28-24 advantage. Perkins drove into the paint for a 3-point play, then attacked the rim in transition for a ferocious slam. Mitchell followed that with a free throw and a conventional 3-point play to seize a 28-24 lead with 4:48 to go.
Illinois snapped out of its three-plus-minutes scoring drought with eight straight points in 98 seconds. White swished a 12-footer, then Morez Johnson Jr. converted a putback and an alley-oop layup before White capped the burst with two free throws for a 32-28 lead with 2:46 to go.
The Illini carried a 37-32 lead into the break while owning a 23-9 advantage on the boards.
With 16:53 left in the game, Missouri coach Dennis Gates walked 15 feet out on the court after a flurry of turnovers and picked up a technical foul. Jakucionis hit both free throws to push Illinois’ lead to 42-34.
Missouri cut the margin to two points three times, but Illinois responded each time. White’s layup sparked a 10-2 run that gave Illinois the game’s biggest lead — a 67-57 margin — with 6:33 to go.
Missouri responded by reeling off 11 straight points in just 2:07 to take its first lead of the half. Trent Pierce’s driving layup gave the Tigers a 68-67 edge with 4:13 to go.
Jakucionis’ fadeaway gave the Illini a 79-77 lead with 28 seconds left, then Mitchell missed a shot with his toe on the 3-point line with 8.1 to go. Boswell split a pair of free throws before Crews’ potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer was too strong.
–Field Level Media
