If the Illini are going to overcome its rash of injuries and make a run at an NCAA tournament bid, they'll need Malcolm Hill to have more games like he did Saturday.
The junior scored a career-high 34 points to lead Illinois past South Dakota, 91-79. It was the highest-scoring game of the season for the team, the second straight game in which the Illini have set a new season high in points.
Illinois scored 55 points in the first half, holding a 19-point lead at the break after shooting 59.4 percent from the field. South Dakota cut into that lead a bit with a 43-point second half, but the Illini still led by double digits for most of the final 20 minutes, though what was a 20-point lead briefly shrunk as small as six in the final minutes.
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The Illini shot 48.4 percent from the field on the day and made 14 3-pointers, also a new season high.
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Hill's big scoring output was just part of his big day. He recorded a double-double by adding 11 rebounds to his 34 points, also handing out five assists, blocking three shots and coming away with a pair of steals. He made four 3-pointers on the game and scored 10 of his points from the free-throw line.
Three other Illini scored in double figures: Jalen Coleman-Lands had 17 points, hitting four 3-pointers; Michael Finke had 13 points, adding seven rebounds; and Kendrick Nunn scored 10 points, though he had a rough shooting day, going 4-for-12 from the floor and 2-for-7 from 3.
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Illinois improved to 7-5 with the win. There's just one game remaining on the non-conference schedule, the annual Braggin' Rights game against Missouri, which comes Wednesday.