CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) – Ayo Dosunmu produced 23 points, Giorgi Bezhanishvili added 20 points and Illinois used one of its best first halves this season to defeat Minnesota 95-68 on Wednesday night and end a five-game skid.
The Illini (5-12, 1-5 Big Ten) piled up 51 points in the opening 20 minutes – their second-best output thus far – on the back of hot shooting and a strong glass presence.
The Golden Gophers (13-4, 3-3) hadn’t permitted more than 44 points in a first period when they arrived at State Farm Center. They led for just 28 seconds versus Illinois.
The Illini’s second-leading scorer as a freshman, Dosunmu potted 15 points before halftime.
Fellow freshman Bezhanishvili tallied 14 points and five boards prior to reaching the locker room. Both marks exceeded his full-game averages. Backing the college newcomers were Trent Frazier with 15 points and Andres Feliz with 10 points as Illinois shot 56.1 percent from the field.
Minnesota, which lost for the second time in its last three bouts, received 17 points from Daniel Oturu and 11 points from Jordan Murphy.
