Live-Blogging: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Baylor Bears 12/02/2020

Illinois Fighting Illini Game Notes

​Hello, and welcome to another edition of ‘Live-Blogging Shish on College Basketball’. Tonight, it is a Jimmy V Classic game, between Illinois Fighting Illini taking on Baylor Bears.

Illini are considered a Final Four contender, because they have an inside-outside game with guard Ayo Dosunmu and Center Kofi Cockburn. They are hoping that they can beat Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Iowa for Big Ten Title.

For the Bears, they were a Top 5 team last year and was looking at a possible #1 overall seed. But then COVID-19 happened, and they were unable to play in the Big 12 and NCAA Tournament. They are led by Senior Guard Mark Vital.

It is Illinois Fighting Illini taking on Baylor Bears, coming up shortly.
 
 
Possible Starting Lineups:
Illinois Fighting Illini:
G: A. Dosunmu
G: T. Frazier
G: D. Williams
G: A. Miller
C: K. Cockburn
 
Baylor Bears:
G: M. Vital
G: M. Teague
G: D. Mitchell
G: J. Butler
F: F. Thamba

Announcer Change: Jay Bilas will be the color analyst instead of Dick Vitale.

​Illini is in their navy uniforms. While Bears are in their gold uniforms.

1st Half:
20:00: Bears win tipoff. Bears attacking right basket. Illini attacking left basket. Illini will have the possession arrow, in their favor. 
18:49: Butler with a layup. ILL 0, BAY 2
18:11: Frazier with a layup. ILL 2, BAY 2
17:32: Cockburn missed both free throws. 
16:55: Butler with a jump shot. ILL 2, BAY 4
16:20: Vital makes a layup. ILL 2, BAY 6
15:57: Williams makes a 3-point FG. ILL 5, BAY 6
15:32: Frazier makes a 3-point FG. ILL 8, BAY 6
15:03: T.V. Timeout #1: ILL 8, BAY 6

​14:12: Hawkins missed both free throws. 
13:57: Butler makes a layup. ILL 8, BAY 8
13:11: Mayer makes a layup. ILL 8, BAY 10
12:53: Thamba miss both free throws. 
12:22: Flagler makes a tipin. ILL 8, BAY 12
12:10: Cockburn with an alley-oop.  Curbelo with an assist. ILL 10, BAY 12
11:39: Butler makes a layup. ILL 10, BAY 14
11:11: T.V. Timeout #2: ILL 10, BAY 14

11:11: Dosunmu makes 1 of 2 free throws. ILL 11, BAY 14
11:00: Tchamwa Tachatchoua (JTT) makes both free throws. ILL 11, BAY 16
10:38: Bezhanishvili makes a layup. ILL 13, BAY 16
9:33: ​Bezhanishvili makes a jump shot. ILL 15, BAY 16
9:11: Vital makes both free throws. ILL 15, BAY 18
8:42: Miller makes a jump shot. ILL 17, BAY 18
8:13: Dosunmu makes a layup. ILL 19, BAY 18
7:52: Mitchell makes a 3-point FG. ILL 19, BAY 21
7:33: Miller makes a layup. ILL 21, BAY 21
7:20: T.V. Timeout #3: ILL 21, BAY 21

​7:04: Bezhanishvili makes a layup. ILL 23, BAY 21
6:48: Flagler makes a jump shot. ILL 23, BAY 23
6:13: Mayer missed both free throws. 
6:13: Bears are in the Bonus.
5:13: Bezhanishvili makes a layup. ILL 25, BAY 23
4:02: BEARS TIMEOUT #1: ILL 25, BAY 23
​
3:53: Flagler makes a 3-point FG. ILL 25, BAY 26
2:37: Bezhanishvili makes a jam. ILL 27, BAY 26
2:19: Teague makes a jump shot. ILL 27, BAY 28
1:31: Bezhanishvili makes a 3-point FG. ILL 30, BAY 28
1:17: JTT makes 1 of 2 free throws. ILL 30, BAY 29
:41: FIGHTING ILLINI TIMEOUT #1: ILL 30, BAY 29
:14: Butler makes a jump shot. ILL 30, BAY 31
:00: The End of 1st Half. Illini will inbound to start the 2nd Half.

Halftime:
ILL 30, BAY 31

Halftime Leaders:
Scoring: Bezhanishvili (ILL) 13 points
Rebounding; Williams (ILL) 5 rebounds
Assists: 3 players with 2 assists

Halftime Thoughts:
A defensive ball game. Bears are forcing turnovers and Illini fouls. But Baylor is not shooting from the foul line.

For the Illini, Bezhanishvili is leading the game in scoring, off the bench. But Illini had a costly turnover before Halftime, when Trent Frazier dribbled too much and it turned into 2 points for Jared Butler. 

NCAA Top 25 Scores:

2nd Half:
20:00: Fighting Illini will inbound to start the 2nd Half. Illini attacking right basket. While Bears attack left basket. Baylor will inbound to start the 2nd Half. 
19:27: Williams with a layup. ILL 32, BAY 31
Holly Rowe is doing the play-by-play. I am not sure if Shulman and Bilas are having technical difficulties. 
​18:51: Teague makes 1 of 2 free throws. ILL 32, BAY 32
18:21: Bezhanishvili makes a bank shot jumper. ILL 34, BAY 32
17:42: Thamba makes a layup. ILL 34, BAY 34
17:07: Mitchell makes a 3-point FG. ILL 34, BAY 37
15:58: Dosunmu makes a 3-point FG. ILL 37, BAY 37
15:27: Dosunmu makes a layup. ILL 39, BAY 37
15:15: BEARS TIMEOUT #2: ILL 39, BAY 37
14:56: Vital makes a layup. ILL 39, BAY 39
14:18: T.V. Timeout #6: ILL 39, BAY 39

14:02: JTT with an alley-oop. Mitchell with an assist. ILL 39, BAY 41
13:51: INJURY TIMEOUT: ILL 39, BAY 41
13:44: Curbelo makes a FG. ILL 41, BAY 41
13:25: Flagler makes a jump shot. ILL 41, BAY 43
13:16: Curbelo makes both free throws. ILL 43, BAY 43
12:51: JTT makes both free throws. ILL 43, BAY 45
11:36: Teague makes a layup. ILL 43, BAY 47
11:12: T.V. Timeout #6: ILL 43, BAY 47

​​11:00: Teague makes a layup. ILL 43, BAY 49
10:33: Frazier makes a 3-point FG. ILL 46, BAY 49
10:33: FIGHTING ILLINI TIMEOUT #2: ILL 46, BAY 49
10:05: Flagler makes a 3-point FG. ILL 46, BAY 52
9:27: Flagler makes a layup. ILL 46, BAY 54
9:02; Cockburn with a jam. ILL 48, BAY 54
8:47: Cockburn commits his 4th personal foul.
8:47: Teague makes both free throws. ILL 48, BAY 56
8:37: Dosunmu makes a 3-point FG. ILL 48, BAY 56
8:32: Thamba with a layup and foul. Thamba missed a free throw. ILL 51, BAY 58
8:17: Mitchell makes a 3-point FG. ILL 51, BAY 61
8:02: Teague makes a layup. ILL 51, BAY 63
​7:31: Mayer makes a jump shot. ILL 51, BAY 65
7:03: Curbelo makes a 3-point FG. ILL 54, BAY 65
6:40: Mitchell makes a layup. ILL 54, BAY 67
6:12: Mayer makes a 3-point FG. ILL 54, BAY 70
5:51: Dosunmu makes a jump shot. ILL 56, BAY 70
5:31: JTT with an alley-oop. Mitchell with an assist. ILL 56, BAY 72
5:18: Dosunmu makes a layup and foul. Dosunmu makes a free throw. ILL 59, BAY 72
4:44: Both teams are in the Bonus.
4:28: Williams makes 1 of 2 free throws. ILL 60, BAY 72
3:50: Cockburn with a jam and foul. ILL 62, BAY 72
3:50: T.V. Timeout #7: ILL 62, BAY 72

3:50: Cockburn makes a free throw. ILL 63, BAY 72
3:24: Butler makes a layup. ILL 63, BAY 74
3:09: Dosunmu makes both free throws. ILL 65, BAY 74
3:04: Butler missed a free throw. 
​2:02: Illini are in the Double Bonus. Bears are in the Bonus.
2:02: Flagler makes both free throws. ILL 65, BAY 76
1:57: Curbelo makes both free throws. ILL 67, BAY 76
1:44: Both Teams are in the Double Bonus.
1:44: Mitchell makes 1 of 2 free throws. ILL 67, BAY 77
1:05: Mitchell makes a 3-point FG. ILL 67, BAY 80
:12: Curbelo makes a layup. ILL 69, BAY 80
:08: Flagler makes both free throws. ILL 69, BAY 82

Final:
ILL 69, BAY 82
ILL: (3-1)
BAY: (3-0)

Final Leaders:
Scoring: Dosunmu/Flagler 18 points
Rebounding: 3 players with 7 rebounds
Assists: Mitchell (BAY) 7 assists

Final Thoughts:
A close one until Baylor went on a 20-8 run. For the Illini, they couldn't get Dosunmu and Cockburn going until it was too late. Cockburn struggled with foul trouble. 

Illini will host UT Martin. While Baylor will stay in the Hoosier State, to play Gonzaga. Both games will be played on Saturday. 

This is Paul Shishkoff, Jr. This has been 'Live-Blogging Shish on College Basketball'. Thanks or visiting this page.