Illinois blows out Gophers in Big Ten opener
Illinois guard Adam Miller (44) pressures Minnesota's guard Gabe Kalscheur (22) in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, in Champaign, Ill.[(AP Photo/Holly Hart)]
Kofi Cockburn scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in only 25 minutes to lead No. 13 Illinois past Minnesota 92-65 in the Big Ten opener for both teams.
Freshman guard Adam Miller added 14 points, while Trent Frazier and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 10 for Illinois. Dosunmu also had seven rebounds and five assists.
The previous high for Cockburn was 26 points against North Carolina A&T last December. He became the first player to have at least 33 points and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes or less against a Division I opponent since Michael Beasley in 2008, according to STATS.
Marcus Carr had 16 points for Minnesota, which fell to 6-1. They shot only 27.5 percent from the field, and were outscored in the paint 48-14.
The Gophers return to action Sunday, hosting No, 27 St. Louis.