CURRENT GAME STATUS: ILLINI WIN 84-63

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5:47 PM

That's all for the blog today...game wrapup to be posted shortly.

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5:40 PM

Sorry for the lack of updates...Internet problems coupled with a very tired sports reporter makes for a less than riveting blog. Driving 18 hours in a 36 hour period will do that to you. Anyway, DJ Richardson is tearing it up today, leading all scorers with 23 points. 2:27 til this one is in the books.

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A quickie stats update as we have a timeout on the court...

Illini shooting 42% from the field, 32% from long range, and 82% from the line. Richardson leads all scorers with 13 points. Hawks outrebounding the Illini 29-28.

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5:24 PM

McCamey with a three, but I think I speak for everybody in saying that this game is too close for comfort.

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5:16 PM

Alex Legion completes the old fashioned three point play after the bucket, foul, and free throw. Quincy coach Marty Bell is very upset about that series of events.

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5:08 PM

One other halftime stat that's worth pointing out: The Illini with only four turnovers for the half, a far cry from 15 last Friday vs. Missouri Southern.

Under 16 timeout now, and with it the usual rendition of William Tell. One of the underrrated traditions in the Big Ten IMO.

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5:00 PM

Second half is underway.

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4:59 PM

First half stats...

DJ Richardson is the Illini's leading scorer with 11 points. Legion has nine, and Paul has seven.

Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, and Dominique Keller each have three rebounds.

Richardson and Demetri McCamey lead the O & B with four assists.

The Illini as a team are shooting 44 % from the field, 35% from long range, and 75% from the free throw line. They've pulled down 18 boards, as opposed to Quincy's 21.

And speaking of Quincy, their leading scorer is Josh Edmunds with 10 points.

Second half to begin shortly.

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4:44 PM

And that's the half with the O & B up seven. Stats and halftime thoughts in a bit. In the meantime, you can sniff around www.dailyillini.com/sports for the latest Illini sports news from this weekend.

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4:29 PM

A 5-0 Illini runs prompts a Quincy timeout.

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4:22 PM

Under 12 timeout here at the Hall with the Hawks up five. Marty Bell's squad is showing it is definitely not a pushover, shooting 50% from the field thus far. Don't forget that these guys put a scare into Notre Dame on Friday before ultimately falling 75-45.

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4:17 PM

The Illini are back in the lead after an Alex Legion three.

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4:13 PM

Timeout on the court with 14:49 for the half. The Illini look like they're rushing things so far...a lot of quick shooting and not a lot of passing.

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4:11 PM

DJ Richardson just threw one down on a fast break...the first of many of his Illini career I'm sure.

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4:05 PM

Aaaaand we're officially underway at the Hall!

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3:57 PM

Starting lineups:

QUINCY

G Mookie Pierre (awesome name IMO) F Billy Baptist G Courtney Belger G Josh Edmonds F Justin Brock

ILLINOIS

G DJ Richardson F Mike Davis G Demetri McCamey G Brandon Paul C Mike Tisdale

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3:49 PM

Both teams just left the floor for one final lockerroom pep talk. Ten minutes til starting lineups.

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3:44 PM

In my 20 plus years of coming to Assembly Hall, I have never once heard Tupac played at an Illini basketball game...that is until now. Yep, California Love is currently blasting over the loudspeakers here. The players and students love it...the elderly folks in A section, not so much.

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3:40 PM

Before I forget, a quick uniform checkup. The Illini are in white with orange and blue trim, while the Hawks are sporting brown unis with white trim and numbers. Why anyone would choose brown as a team color is beyond me.

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3:31 PM

Some factoids about today’s game…

This will be the last of two exhibition tuneups for the Illini after a 95-67 win over Missouri Southern last Friday. Coach Bruce Weber went with a structured plan for playing time for that game, but he said earlier in the week that the players will have to earn their minutes today. I would take that to mean that freshman DJ Richardson will get the start today after he came off the bench vs. Missouri Southern in favor of Dominique Keller.

The Quincy Hawks, as you might have guessed, hail from Quincy, Illinois, and come out of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in NCAA Division II. The squad tallied a 16-12 overall and 8-9 league mark last year. The group returns four starters, all of whom averaged over or near double figures scoring last season, with the fifth starting spot listed as going to junior guard Billy Hayes, who transferred to Quincy this season from nearby Danville Area Community College (or DACC as the locals call it). Marty Bell is the man in charge for the Hawks in his seventh year with the program.

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3:04 PM

Assembly Hall doors just opened, and fans are beginning to file in. I'd guess around 8-10 thousand for final attendance today...Sunday exhibitions aren't exactly the most riveting to watch.

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2:35 PM

The rest of the team is now on the court, along with Illini associate head coach Wayne McClain and a couple of the Quincy players. Don't believe me? Here's proof:

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2:14 PM

The Illini's Mike Tisdale just took the court for a shootaround. Alex Legion now joins him.

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2:04 PM

After watching the Illini women down Lewis, I'll be staying in Assembly Hall but watching a different gender on the court as the Illini men are set to tip off with the Quincy Hawks in about two hours. The Hall is a ghost town right now, with various event staff getting the court and stands ready for the game. It'll probably be a bit more full than the women's game earlier today if I had to guess.