CHAMPAIGN — Senior Kevin Johnson made quick work of Oakland in Illinois’ 4-0 nonconference baseball victory Friday at Illinois Field.
Johnson needed 79 pitches to post his third career complete-game shutout in a contest that took 1 hour, 43 minutes, the UI’s shortest game of the season.
MANHATTAN, Kan. — History is beckoning the Illinois women’s basketball team.
No group in the program’s history has advanced beyond the quarterfinals of a national postseason tournament.
The current Illini can change that today with a victory against Kansas State.
It's a busy weekend for Illinois athletic director Mike Thomas.
On Thursday, he provided updates on renovation plans at the Assembly Hall. Read about it here.
CHAMPAIGN — Three Illinois players with eligibility remaining — Mike Shaw, Devin Langford and Ibby Djimde — will not return to the program for the 2013-14 season.
The moves will free up three scholarships for Illinois.
HUMBLE, Texas — The putter D.A. Points once took from his mother paid off nicely for him Thursday in the Houston Open.
Points, a former Illini, opened with five straight birdies and wound up with an 8-under-par 64 on a pleasant morning with only moderate wind at Redstone Golf Club. He had a 1-shot lead over Cameron Tringale and John Rollins.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Amber Moore’s ears were ringing during warmups.
The Toledo crowd was that loud.
“Rowdy, too,” the Illinois junior guard said. “We were yelling at the top of our lungs just to hear each other.”
Moore and the Illini had an easier time communicating after Thursday’s WNIT Sweet 16 game. A second-half rally in a 63-55 win left Savage Arena eerily quiet.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Karisma Penn had 23 points and 11 rebounds, leading Illinois to a 63-55 victory against Toledo on Thursday night in a third-round game of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
The Illini, who will play at Kansas State at 4 p.m. Saturday in the quarterfinals, received 18 points from Amber Moore.
The Wildcats defeated Ball State 60-48 on Thursday night.
Women's basketball beat writer Jeff Huth breaks down today's WNIT game between Illinois and Toledo:
Illinois at Toledo, 6 p.m. today
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois sophomore Ashley Spencer was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week after claiming the 100 meters and placing second in the 400 hurdles at the Texas State Elite Meet, the league office announced Wednesday.
When Justin Spring’s gymnasts won the 2012 NCAA title, there was legitimate optimism that the Illini could continue to thrive in that thin stratosphere. They were ranked No. 1 going into this season.
But as we saw with men’s tennis (NCAA champs in 2003), men’s basketball (2005 runners-up) and volleyball (2011 runners-up), even a Perfect Storm will break up and weaken.