Red-Hot Illinois Defeats Coppin State, 114-56
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — While Illinois hung 114 points on Coppin State Sunday, coach John Groce didn't want to talk about the offense.
The third-year head coach praised the Illini defense for holding the Eagles to 29.6 percent shooting from the field.
After a slim victory against Georgia Southern on Friday in its season opener, Illinois (2-0) blew out Coppin State, 114-56.
Ahmad Starks and Leron Black led the Illini with 18 points each, while Malcolm Hill added 13 points and nine rebounds.
"We had a defensive edge that reminded me of last year," Groce said. "Tonight's story was the defense and the way the guys in our locker room responded to the film session yesterday."
In less than 48 hours, Illinois looked like a whole new team.
Groce singled out Hill as a player who brought more intensity than in the season opener.
"If I'm not getting yelled at, it means they don't expect a lot out of me," Hill said. "I think we had the too-cool mindset. We probably were feeling ourselves a little bit."
The Illini opened the game red-hot from the field, shooting 60 percent in the first half.
After Coppin State (0-2) hit a three to open the scoring, Illinois went on a 16-0 run and never looked back.
"We really dug ourselves in a hole and could not dig ourselves out of it," Coppin State coach Michael Grant said.
The Illini started 0-for-3 from the field but made 15 of their next 16 shots to put the game out of reach early in the first half.
The 114 points are the most that the Illini have scored under Groce during the regular season. The previous high was 94, set on Nov. 19, 2012 against USC.
The Illini stretched the lead to 37 in the first half and as many as 62 overall. It is the first time that Illinois hit the century mark since Dec. 27, 2005.
When asked about the feeling of seeing 100 on the scoreboard, Starks echoed his coach.
"It was exciting to know we're doing a good job," Starks said. "We held them to 56."
To which Groce responded, "Good answer."
TIP-INS
Illinois: Center Nnanna Egwu continued his slow start to the season. The senior was limited to six points and two rebounds in just 18 minutes of play.
Coppin State: Coppin State allowed over 100 points for the second consecutive game after giving up 107 to Oregon on Friday. The Eagles didn't allow a team to top 100 all last season.
UP NEXT
Coppin State travels to Notre Dame on Wednesday.
Illinois hosts Austin Peay on Friday as a part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational.
COPPIN'S ODYSSEY
Sunday's score line doesn't quite tell the story of Coppin State's trip west. Sports information director Rob Knox said the Eagles flew from Baltimore to San Francisco and then on to Oregon on Thursday ahead of their 9 p.m. (PST) tipoff Friday. Then they flew from Oregon to Chicago early Saturday and took a bus to their hotel in Bloomington, Illinois, about 50 miles northwest of Champaign. Hotels in the Champaign area were booked for dad's weekend at the University of Illinois.
And Coppin's not done. On Monday they leave for South Bend to face Notre Dame on Wednesday, head home on Thursday, then back out on the road to Colorado to play Denver Nov. 23.
BALANCED ATTACK
Illinois had 10 different players in the scorebook, with six in double figures. No one played more than 24 minutes and five players attempted nine shots.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.
