At halftime, IU leads Illinois 38-34.
The Hoosiers are led by seven points each from sophomore forward Troy Williams and freshman James Blackmon Jr.
A quick start by Illinois — largely due to three early 3-pointers from sophomore guard Kendrick Nunn — helped the Illini to an 11-2 lead to begin the contest.
The Hoosiers found a response in the bench. Junior guard Nick Zeisloft and freshman forward Max Hoetzel provided a bit of a spark.
In the closing stretch of the half, Illinois rallied off an 11-0 run to tie the game at 34-34 with 1:43 remaining. Two dunks from Williams took IU to its 4-point halftime lead.
IU is shooting 51.7 percent from the field. Illinois is shooting 44.4 percent. The Hoosiers are outrebounding the Illini 16-12.
The all-time series between the Big Ten rivals was tied entering the game. The winner on Sunday will take control of the series for now.
Sam Beishuizen
