Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini win over Maryland

1. Ayo was huge in the first half

The game was looking pretty bleak in the first half. With 4:30 left until halftime, the Illini were down 32-21. This 11-point deficit, most likely, was going to only grow as the game went on. That is when Ayo Dosunmu took over.

Ayo made a layup with 3:12 to go in the first half to bring the score back to 32-23. He then came down with 1:45 left and hit a three-pointer to bring the deficit to only 32-26. With a 1:17 to go until halftime, Ayo hit another shot to bring the score to 32-28. He then made two free throws to only have a deficit of two points at 32-30 with 23-seconds left in the half.

That 9-0 run by Ayo himself was huge for the Illinois basketball team. They were looking to be down and out late in the first half, but with Ayo leading the way, this team charged back. He took the reins of this team and brought the Orange and Blue back to only be down by four points heading into halftime.

Ayo finished the day with 20 points, six assists, two steals and a block. He was 6-of-11 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point range. He was also 7-of-7 from the free throw line as well. This kid was everything the Illini needed. His huge first half rally propelled this team to a win against Maryland.