Illinois needed a way to break out of its slump, which is what losing your first two conference road games amounts to if you’re the No. 7 team in the nation.
Northwestern just needed a victory to end a three-game losing streak.
Advantage, Illini.
In their final games as collegians in the Chicago area, where they grew up, seniors Dee Brown and James Augustine hit the Wildcats with a 1-2 punch, leading the Illini to an easier-than-it-looked 58-47 victory Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Illini (17-2, 3-2 Big Ten) went on a 12-1 run to begin the second half for a 44-18 lead.
“You get down that much in a game on your home court, and it’s discouraging,” said Northwestern coach Bill Carmody, whose team fell to 9-8, 2-4.
Brown, the senior point guard from Proviso East, scored 18 points, had eight assists and was the only consistent offensive force for either team.
Augustine, the senior forward from Lincoln-Way Central, excelled on defense, helping to shut down the Big Ten’s leading scorer. NU senior Vedran Vukusic, who went in averaging 20.9, scored only five points, the worst production since his sophomore year, when he scored three points in a loss at Florida State.
“James is all shook up because he didn’t make some layups and missed some free throws, but he should feel good about what he did on Vedran,” Illini coach Bruce Weber said. “[Vukusic] is versatile. He can score inside and outside. [Augustine] never let him get in a rhythm.”
Vukusic made just 1 of 14 shots, missing his first 13 before sinking a three-pointer that made the score 53-43 with 1 minute 34 seconds left.
Vukusic was more willing to take blame than give credit.
“I don’t remember ever shooting the ball like this, even when I was back home [in Croatia] and I couldn’t shoot the ball,” he said. “It happens. I have to go back to the gym and keep shooting and working hard, and it will come back.
“Most of the shots were pretty wide open. They weren’t falling down. I was surprised they weren’t falling down. They didn’t make any defensive adjustments. They weren’t going in.”
Northwestern’s top three scorers–Vukusic, Mohamed Hachad and Tim Doyle–had no field goals at halftime. Carmody didn’t start Doyle, citing a recent spate of turnovers.
Illinois’ Rich McBride had 12 points, all on three-pointers. Brian Randle scored three points and was elbowed in the forehead, requiring five stitches.
The Wildcats missed their first five shots of the second half and faced a 26-point deficit. At that point, Northwestern had made just 4 of 23 shots.
Brown had shot only 9 of 39 in his last three games but made 6 of 10 against the Wildcats, including 2 of 5 three-point tries.
“I’m going to shoot anyway,” Brown said. “If I’m going 1-for-9, 1-for-30 or 1-for-50. . . . If I don’t make one more shot this season, I’m still going to play the way I play and do the things I do.”
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tabannon@tribune.com
