Illinois basketball: Illini MVP of the game against Penn State
By Jalen Wilson
The Illinois basketball team beat the Penn State Nittany Lions 62-56, as they snap a four-game losing streak.
This win was huge for this Illinois basketball team, as they beat the No. 9 ranked Nittany Lions Tuesday night. Illinois really played well on the offensive and defensive ends of the court. The Illini controlled the pace the entire night. They didn’t get rattled when they couldn’t get a shot to fall. Most important, Illinois got back in the win column. There was one player who stood out to me against Penn State.
Ayo Dosunmu is that player as he is awarded MVP of this game. This was Ayo’s first game back from injury. The Orange and Blue needed him for this tough road matchup against the Nittany Lions.
Ayo showed no signs of rust Thursday, as he had 24 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 assist while making the game-sealing shot. He was 9-of-15 from the field and 1-of-3 from three-point range. Ayo was clearly Illinois’ best and most consistent player on Tuesday night. It was clear that Illinois missed him in the last game against Rutgers.
There wasn’t much competition for MVP of the game. Kofi Cockburn was the only person that could have received this award. Kofi had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Ayo got it because he did a good job of creating his own shot, as most players struggled to do that on Tuesday. Ayo was by far the best player on the court.
This win was huge for Illinois. It helps their resume for the NCAA tournament, and it was a huge confidence booster for the Orange and Blue. The Illini face off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Monday.