Jan. 20--It went from "what a game" to "what a blowout."
Illinois trailed No. 25 Indiana 42-25 at halftime on Tuesday at Assembly Hall.
The Illini had used a 10-0 run to trail Indiana 22-21, but their efforts dried up. The Hoosiers ended the half with a 20-4 run.
Indiana had more 3-pointers (nine) than Illinois had total field goals (8). Illinois also suffered nine first-half turnovers.
Kendrick Nunn's shooting was severely missed. The guard shot just 1 of 6 before halftime as the Illini were led by Malcolm Hill's 13 points.
Illinois returned center Mike Thorne, Jr., to the rotation after he missed 11 games with a knee injury. He wore a bullky brace on his left knee and was constantly being worked on by an athletic treainer to remain loose behind the bench.
In six minutes, he grabbed four rebounds but had two turnovers and shot 0 for 3.
Thorne had not played since Nov. 28.
Indiana's seven first-half assists helped him break the school's all-time record.
Indiana (15-3, 5-0 Big Ten) is the fourth top-25 team Illinois (9-9, 1-4) has faced this season.
The Illini are 1-2 against ranked opponents, beating No. 20 Purdue at home on Jan. 10.
Illinois has lost seven straight road games. The Illini haven't beaten an opponent in a true road game since beating Michigan State last February.
The Hoosiers are riding a 10-game win streak.
