No tears in Lincoln this time for Fighting Illini

LINCOLN (AP) — Illinois shed tears during its previous visit to Nebraska. The Illini were all smiles after their 71-51 victory over the Cornhuskers on Tuesday night.

D.J. Richardson scored 30 points, Brandon Paul added 14 and Illinois ended a three-game losing streak.

Richardson’s career-best performance came after he called a players-only meeting over the weekend, on the heels of an embarrassing 14-point loss to Northwestern. He wouldn’t divulge what was said, but it’s safe to assume he and his fellow seniors drove home the point that Illinois’ recent play had been unacceptable.

Sam McLaurin opened the game with a dunk, and then Paul stole the ball from Brandon Ubel. Illinois never trailed.

“Their effort level was off the charts on the defensive end, maybe as consistent as we’ve been with our effort defensively in a couple weeks, from start to finish,” Illini coach John Groce said. “I thought the defensive end is where we needed it to start. Today that was what spearheaded things, and everything else fell in line after that.”

Illinois endured one of its most devastating defeats in its previous visit to Lincoln. The Illini were outscored 36-4 over portions of the first and second halves Feb. 18 on their way to an 80-57 loss to a poor Nebraska team that ended up firing its coach, Doc Sadler, after the season. The performance prompted some Illinois players to weep on the bench and in the locker room, and it sealed the firing of Bruce Weber.

This season Illinois started 12-0, won the Maui Invitational and was rated in the top 10. But the Illini lost five of seven after that, including double-digit defeats to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Northwestern.

Asked if the season was at a tipping point coming into the Nebraska game, Groce said: “I don’t think that way. We just didn’t play very good. We’ve got good kids. Their attitude has been off the charts. They come to practice every day ready to practice.”