Dec. 06--For the first time this season, Illinois needs to bounce back.
The Illini are coming off their first loss after falling 70-61 at Miami on Tuesday, but coach John Groce said the team is not wavering.
"This team's not going to lay down," he said. "They're not wired that way."
Illinois has a chance to reboot Saturday against American at home before upcoming games against Villanova, Oregon and Missouri. The Illini played their last five games in the course of 12 days in three time zones, Groce pointed out.
The Illini (6-1) shot only 33.3 percent in the loss to Miami, including just 25 percent in the first half. Guards Ahmad Starks and Aaron Cosby combined to shoot 2-for-10.
The game was an anomaly from what the Illini have shown in the early part of the season, entering the game with a 48.2 field goal percentage and averaging 90 points per game.
Groce isn't putting the brakes on his team.
"You're not going to make them all,' he said. "We have guys who can shoot. In the first half, some of the shot selection was just OK. ... (But) we're going to keep shooting. As long as they're good ones, I want to keep firing."
American (5-3) averages only 52.1 points per game, while only one opponent has scored more than 60 points against the Eagles. Groce called it a "deliberate style" of controlling the tempo.
Despite suffering the first setback of the season, Groce said there were plenty of encouraging parts to the loss in Miami. The team was down just four points in the final minutes.
"I attribute that to toughness," he said.
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