Illinois Crushes VCU, Stojakovic Shines

0:00On March 22nd, Illinois beat VCU by 21 points to punch their ticket to the sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. Guard Andre Stoichoffisch earned player of the game honors with a game-high 21 points on 7 of 12 shooting. The 6-foot 7 standout was unstoppable, driving to the rim and hit 7 of 9 free throws. Stoichoffisch took over late in the first half, scoring the final 11 points to erase VCU's comeback and gave Illinois the momentum. His back courtmates, Kylin Boswell and Keaton Wagler also reached double figures, making the Elini's offense tough to handle with such efficiency. VCU struggled up front, especially forward Lazarjo Kovic, who finished with just two points on free throws after missing all six field goal tries. Illinois big man David Merkovic still managed seven points, five rebounds, and four assists, despite an off-night. Both teams got solid bench production, but Illinois coach Brat Underwood's choice to keep Stoichoffisch coming off the pine, paid off big.

1:03VCU's Tarantill Jr. led them with 17 points, but needed 16 shots to get there. Illinois showed their top ranked offense can win in different ways, pounding the paint and locking down on defense. That balance sets them up well for the next challenge ahead.