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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Practice? Who needs practice?
After sitting out of drills for a week with a bruised elbow, Sergio McClain came off the bench to score 16 points and nine rebounds as Illinois (No. 9 ESPN/USA Today, No. 8 AP) opened its season Friday with an 86-57 victory over Maine.
It was the senior's best outing in almost two seasons, offering
Illinois fans a flashback to the promise he showed winning four
state titles at Peoria Manual High School.
"Coaches have guys they like to call winners and Sergio has
experience with winning," Maine coach John Giannini said. "He
understands his strengths and he knows how to win."
McClain said he wanted to inaugurate new coach Bill Self with a
victory at Assembly Hall, and make a good impression. He did both.
"Sergio was great," Self said. "But he'll probably think he
should never practice because he hasn't practiced since last
Saturday. I really thought he was probably the best player on the
court tonight."
The Illini gave Self his first win here with dominating play
inside and feisty defense, trademarks of his successful teams at
Tulsa.
One of McClain's former teammates at Manual, center Marcus
Griffin, added 15 points as the Illini pounded the ball inside. The
Black Bears shot 35 percent and committed 27 turnovers.
"Their defense was excellent," Giannini said. "We didn't have as many answers as we would have liked. We just had a hard time scoring and we think we're a pretty good offensive basketball team."
The Illini shot poorly at the start, but easily ran away when
they committed to forcing the ball inside. McClain and Griffin kept
asking for passes underneath and pushing the ball up even in a
crowd.
McClain scored six points during a 19-5 run that ended with the
Illini ahead 45-23. The Illini led 46-29 at the half and did not
change the plan.
Short jumpers, layups and tip-ins helped the Illini outscore the
Bears 16-6 to start the second half.
The Black Bears could not match the Illini inside. By midway
through the second half, starting forward Carvell Ammons had fouled
out and five other Bears were in foul trouble.
The fouls created by Illinois' inside game helped pad the
margin, with the Illini hitting 16 of 26 free throws.
Self went with Lucas Johnson in the starting spot presumed to be
McClain's before the season, but that's because McClain hadn't
practiced.
"Most of that was adrenalin," McClain said. "I was feeding
off the crowd, off my teammates."
Maine got 18 points and 10 points from Huggy Dye, whose
performance came in a homecoming of sorts. Dye played high school
basketball in nearby Danville. Julian Dunkley added 14 points for
Maine.
Self was happy with the defense and his starting backcourt of
Cory Bradford and Frank Williams playing turnover-free ball.
Bradford added 11 points and Brian Cook had 10 for Illinois.
Another bright spot, Self said, was that players seemed focused
on Friday's game instead of Saturday morning's flight to Hawaii for
the Maui Invitational. Personally, he suffered through some
opening-night jitters.
"I was pretty nervous," Self said. "But the first one you
always remember."
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ALSO SEE
Mens College Basketball Scoreboard
Maine Clubhouse
Illinois Clubhouse
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