CHAMPAIGN,
ILL. – Brian Merriweather scored 27 points, including six three pointers,
but the 22nd ranked Illinois' balanced attack led the Illini to a 98-61
win in men's basketball action Tuesday night at Assembly Hall.
Merriweather Scores 27, But #22 Illinois is Too Much for UT-Pan American, 98-61
CHAMPAIGN,
ILL. – Brian Merriweather scored 27 points, including six three pointers,
but the 22nd ranked Illinois' balanced attack led the Illini to a 98-61
win in men's basketball action Tuesday night at Assembly Hall.
Merriweather was held to just five points in the first half, but came out firing in the second half, scoring 22 points, including five of his six three-point baskets. Merriweather was the only Bronc to score in double figures. Watara Banks was the second leading scorer for UTPA with seven points.
Merriweather, who was tied for the national lead in three-pointers made per game coming in, cut the Illini lead to just seven at 40-33 when he hit a trey early in the second half. But the Illini took over from there, extending their lead to as much as 41 points before settling for the final 37-point margin. Illinois led 40-30 at the half.
The Illini had five players in double figures, led by Marcus Griffin who had 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Also scoring in double figures for UI was Corey Bradford (13 points), Lucas Johnson (13), Cleotis Brown 13 and Sergio McClain (11).
The win marked the 300th victory for Illinois' Lon Kruger, who began his 18-year coaching career in 1982 at UT-Pan American.
The Broncs fell to 1-4 on the season and extended their NCAA record road losing streak to 62 games. They will return to action on December 15th, when they travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, to take on the University of Arkansas at 7:05 p.m. Illinois improved to 4-2 on the season.
UT-Pan American Broncs at Illinois
Fightin' Illini
Assembly Hall
December 8, 1999
UT-Pan American Broncs (1-4)
No. Name FG FGA 3FG 3FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 11 John Braxton, f 1 5 1 4 0 0 1 4 5 2 3 2 3 0 0 28 21 Kyle Sanders, f 2 7 0 0 0 1 4 0 4 5 4 0 5 0 0 28 33 Matt Palmquist, c 2 5 0 0 2 4 1 4 5 3 6 0 0 0 2 23 05 Kwasinda Curtis, g 1 4 1 3 2 2 0 5 5 5 5 3 10 0 2 22 23 Brian Merriweather, g 9 18 6 12 3 4 0 2 2 0 27 0 7 0 3 38 00 Reggie Kuzet 1 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 01 Bernard Preston 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 10 Carlos Haywood 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 2 2 5 3 1 2 0 0 12 12 Gary Booker 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 3 3 5 2 0 2 1 1 17 15 Watara Banks 2 6 0 1 3 4 1 0 1 2 7 3 6 0 1 22 32 Machi Warner 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 4 Team 0 2 2 Totals 20 51 8 20 13 21 7 24 31 28 61 10 35 1 10 200
Total FG% 1st Half: 11-27 .407 2nd Half: 9-24 .375 Game: .392 Deadball 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-11 .273 2nd Half: 5-9 .556 Game: .400 Rebounds F Throw% 1st Half: 5-6 .833 2nd Half: 8-15 .533 Game: .619 4, 3
Illinois (4-2)
No. Name FG FGA 3FG 3FGA FT FTA OF DE TOT PF TP A TO BLK S MIN 32 Cleotis Brown, f 5 10 0 1 3 4 4 1 5 3 13 1 0 1 0 20 52 Marcus Griffin, f 8 10 0 0 2 5 2 5 7 3 18 0 0 1 2 20 21 Robert Archibald, c 3 7 0 0 1 1 4 2 6 2 7 1 1 0 0 18 13 Corey Bradford, g 4 10 2 6 3 4 0 2 2 1 13 0 5 0 1 25 30 Frank Williams, g 2 4 0 1 5 5 0 1 1 0 9 7 1 0 5 23 00 Victor Chukwudebe 0 4 0 0 4 8 1 3 4 2 4 1 0 1 1 17 05 Nate Mast 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 6 22 Lucas Johnson 5 8 2 4 1 2 0 1 1 3 13 3 0 0 1 15 24 Sean Harrington 0 3 0 2 1 2 0 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 10 33 Damir Krupalija 2 4 0 1 0 0 2 4 6 1 4 1 2 0 1 12 34 Brian Cook 2 3 0 1 1 3 1 4 5 4 5 2 3 2 1 14 40 Sergio McClain 5 9 1 1 0 1 1 2 3 2 11 4 4 0 5 20 Team 2 1 3 Totals 36 72 5 17 21 35 17 27 44 21 98 22 18 5 17 200
Total FG% 1st Half: 14-34 .412 2nd Half: 22-38 .579 Game: .500 Deadball 3-Pt. FG% 1st Half: 3-10 .300 2nd Half: 2-7 .286 Game: .294 Rebounds F Throw% 1st Half: 9-14 .643 2nd Half: 12-21 .571 Game: .600 6, 1
Officials: Dan Chrisman, Jim Jenkins, Winston Stith
Technical Fouls: None Attendance: 11,705
Score by Periods 1st 2nd Final UTPA 30 31 61 UTEP 40 58 98
