National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Illinois 72, Western Carolina 64
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Where: Assembly Hall, Champaign, Illinois
Officials: # Ed Hightower, # Glenn Mayberry, # Ray Perone
Attendance: 14191


No. 14 Illinois 72, Western Carolina 64: Brandon Paul scored a team-high 14 points to help the Illini stay unbeaten by holding off a game effort by the visiting Catamounts.

Illinois (9-0) had just a two-point lead with five minutes to play before going on an 8-0 run to open up a double-digit advantage with 2:24 to play. Western Carolina never got closer than six the rest of the way.

D.J. Richardson added 13 points for the Illini, including three 3-pointers. Tracy Abrams chipped in 10 points for the Illini, who shot just 29.2 percent (7-for-24) from beyond the arc.

Preston Ross paced the Catamounts (3-6) with 17 points, while Brandon Boggs added 16, including 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range. WCU also got a 13-point, eight-rebound effort from James Sinclair and 10 points from Tawaski King.

Trey Sumler came into the game averaging a team-best 17.6 points per game for the Catamounts but shot just 3-for-10 from the field, finishing with eight points and eight turnovers.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Illinois first-year coach John Groce's 9-0 start is the second-best start for a coach in school history, behind Fletcher Lane's 12-0 start in 1907-08. … Western Carolina's 20 field goals marked a season-low total for the Catamounts, one fewer than the previous low of 21 in the season opener against UNC-Asheville. … Illinois next plays at No. 10 Gonzaga on Saturday. Western Carolina plays at home for the first time since Nov. 21 when it hosts Appalachian State on Saturday.



Top Game Performances
 
Western Carolina   Illinois
Preston Ross 17 Scoring Brandon Paul 14
Trey Sumler 4 Assists Tracy Abrams 3
Trey Sumler 9 Rebounds Tyler Griffey 6
Preston Ross 6 Free Throws Made D.J. Richardson 4
Brandon Boggs 2 Steals D.J. Richardson 3
Preston Ross 1 Blocks Nnanna Egwu 1
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Western Carolina 64 38.5 9-21 15-22 11 37 1 6 22
Illinois 72 40.0 7-24 13-19 9 31 4 12 11