Maverick Morgan was a perfect 8-for-8 from the field with 16 points in the Illini's season-opening win Friday night.
Morgan starred alongside Malcolm Hill, who scored 21 points, as Illinois topped Southeast Missouri State, 81-62, in Champaign.
Morgan made all eight of his shot attempts and blocked a pair of shots in the win, with Hill going 6-for-11 from the field and 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. Hill also grabbed eight rebounds and handed out four assists.
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The Illini shot 56.6 percent from the field, scoring a near-20-point win despite missing 20 3-point attempts, going 11-for-31 from behind the arc. SEMO shot just 41 percent from the field.
Tracy Abrams scored in double figures in his first game since March 2014. Abrams, a sixth-year senior, missed the entirety of the past two seasons due to preseason injuries. Friday he finished with 13 points, going 4-for-5 from the field including 3-for-4 from 3-point territory.
Michael Finke also scored in double figures with 12 points. He and Jalen Coleman-Lands each hit three 3-pointers.
The Illini led by just six at halftime but outscored the visiting Redhawks by 13 in the second half.
Big Ten
Illinois next faces Northern Kentucky on Sunday night in Champaign.