When Illinois puts together a highlight film of the current season, it’s safe to assume the first half of Sunday’s victory over Iowa won’t be on it.
“Obviously, the second half was a little more characteristic of what we’ve done all season,” coach Bruce Weber said after the 19th-ranked Illini held on for a lackluster 62-54 victory at the Assembly Hall.
Illinois went cold late in the first half, and Iowa took a 25-22 halftime lead.
“We should have tried to sneak out at halftime,” Hawkeyes coach Todd Lickliter said.
The victory followed the Illini’s 23-point loss Thursday at Minnesota, and it came a day after Weber cut short practice in disgust.
“We didn’t come out with a lot of energy in the first half,” Illinois guard Chester Frazier said. “They executed their stuff. They played well.”
Illinois (18-4, 6-3) finished the first half of its Big Ten schedule tied for third place with Minnesota and Penn State.
Illinois has won a Big Ten-leading nine consecutive home games, four in conference, but is taking a step up in competition in the next month. First-place Michigan State, second-place Purdue, Minnesota and Penn State make up the rest of the home schedule.
Center Mike Tisdale led the Illini with 18 points, and forward Dominique Keller came off the bench to score 12, six in the first half.
“He saved us in the first half,” Weber said.
He did so with some defense as well.
“One thing you can always do is play defense, which we didn’t do at Minnesota,” Keller said. “Our main goal was to stop them on defense. We knew somebody would get hot.”
The Illini won with a quick start to the second half and a strong finish at the free-throw line, going 8-for-8 in the final 39 seconds.
Illinois shot only 35.7 percent in the first half but 65.0 in the second, making nine of its first 10 shots.
But the Illini couldn’t pull away, and a three-pointer by Jeff Peterson brought the Hawkeyes (12-10, 2-7) within 58-54 with 18.5 seconds left. Tisdale and Mike Davis each made two free throws to end Iowa’s upset hopes.
“Our guys are fighting hard, and I think their play is better than what their record indicates, but you’re only graded on the record,” Lickliter said.
Illinois visits Wisconsin, which has lost six straight, Thursday night. Then Sunday it’s back to the Assembly Hall for the rematch with Purdue, which Illinois beat on the road.
“If we’re going to compete, we have to have two good days of practice in a row,” Weber said.
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tabannon@tribune.com
