No. 25 Illinois Overcomes Slow Start, Defeats Eastern Illinois 80-52 in Season Opener

Freshman Guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn Led With 18 Points in His Debut and Illinois All-Big Ten Returnee Terrence Shannon Jr. Scored 16, Helping the Illini Recover After Trailing Early in the Game Against Eastern Illinois.

Despite Illinois' initial struggle in shooting, managing just four 3-pointers and making three of 10 free throws in the first half, freshman Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn led them to an 80-52 victory over Eastern Illinois by scoring a game-high 18 points, including a crowd-igniting one-handed dunk.
Terrence Shannon Jr., an Illinois All-Big Ten returnee, also made significant contributions to the Illini's victory, scoring 16 points, sinking two 3-pointers in the last two minutes of the first half and starting the second half strong with a lefty scoop and another 3-pointer.
Eastern Illinois initially led 15-6 in the first seven minutes, but the team eventually struggled to maintain their lead, failing to get closer than 16 points in the second half of the game.
Despite playing without top scorer Caleb Donaldson, Eastern Illinois received commendable contributions from Kooper Jakobi, who scored 10 points and accomplished a game-high 11 rebounds, and starting point guard Tiger Booker, who added nine points.
This game marks the second consecutive year that Illinois routed Eastern Illinois in the season opener. The win, albeit a challenging feat for a ranked team like Illinois due to early struggles, provides momentum as they continue their six-game home stand.