5. Illinois (102) vs. No. 10 LSU (96); December 22, 1990
While there were a lot of games to choose from, the Illinois vs. LSU game back on December 22, 1990, was one of the biggest non-conference wins in school history.
Right before the season tipped-off, Illinois was placed on three years of probation which included scholarship reductions, inability to pay for recruits visits and a ban from the postseason for 1990-1991. This hurt the program but head coach Lou Henson had this team prepared for the season.
Illinois was 8-3 heading into the game against No. 10 ranked LSU Tigers. This was a game that featured many big-time names on both sides of the court. Illinois displayed Deon Thomas and Andy Kaufmann while the Tigers trotted out big man, Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal had his usual dominant performance. He finished the game with 28 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to fend off the pesky Illini. Illinois had five players score at least 12 points in the game and three players recorded double-doubles as well.
Kaufmann led the Illini in scoring that night with 25 points and he also added 9 rebounds as well. Larry Smith was the leading rebounder with 12.
With the half-time score tied 43-43, the Illini needed to take their game to another level. They accomplished that goal and went on to win the game 102-96. This was a big victory for the Illini over a good team and a future NBA Hall of Famer.