Illinois Basketball: 4 big statistics from the Illini win over Ohio State

4. 21.4%

I mentioned earlier how the first game between Illinois and Ohio State went this season. The Buckeyes handed the Illini their fifth loss of the season, and things weren’t looking great.

In that first game, Ohio State shot lights out. They were hitting shots from everywhere on the court, including the three-point arc. This is what hurt the Illini the most. The Buckeyes hitting big three after big three was a blow to any chance for Illinois to make a comeback. In game two, the results were not the same.

Ohio State shot 21.4-percent worse from three-point range in the second game.

The Buckeyes managed to shoot 52.4-percent from the three-point arc in game one. That ended up being a six-point win for Ohio State. But, on Saturday, this was a different Illinois team defensively and a different Ohio State team offensively.

Illinois’ defense played well and held the Buckeyes to just 31-percent shooting from three-point range. That is a massive drop from game-to-game. It is always a good thing for the Illini if the opposing team shoots eight more three-pointers than in the previous game, but they make two fewer shots from distance.

The ability for the Illini to play aggressive defense around the three-point arc is something to marvel at moving forward. This type of defense isn’t just going to win you the Big Ten regular season title, but it is a style of defense that can win you a national title. Ohio State is a solid shooting team, and we made them look like they were Northwestern.