Richardson Helps Illinois Hold Off Lipscomb 79-64

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — With 21 turnovers, Illinois was sloppy. With 22 points in the paint and just eight in the first half, the Illini didn't have much of an inside game.

But with 17 points from D.J. Richardson, double-figures scoring from three other players and a 14-0 second-half run, Illinois had just enough Thursday night to beat Lipscomb, 79-64.

"Obviously taking care of the basketball, we've got to be better on that; you can't have 21 turnovers," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "Their quickness bothered us, their switching. Sometimes they just played four guards and a big guy."

But for all the Bisons (1-2) did right defensively, they struggled with their own ball-handling — Lipscomb had 18 turnovers — and shooting, hitting just 32 percent of their shots.

"I thought we did a great job defensively," Lipscomb coach Scott Sanderson said. "Our problem was offensive execution."

Lipscomb played without perhaps its best player, guard Jordan Burgason, who Sanderson said is suspended for unspecified disciplinary reasons. Burgason hasn't played yet this season, and might have made a difference Thursday with the Illini sluggish.

"This guy is a phenomenal shooter," Sanderson said, adding that Burgason may miss more games.

The Illini (3-0) survived the first half mostly without its 7-foot-1-inch big man, Meyers Leonard. The sophomore sat after picking up his second foul less than two minutes into the game and didn't return until the second half.

Richardson's jumper kept the Illini just ahead of the Bisons (1-2) through a sloppy first half and kept finding the basket as his teammates found their touch after halftime. Richardson was 7 of 12 on the night, including 3 of 5 from the 3-point line.

The other Illini in double figures included Sam Maniscalco with 15, Brandon Paul with 12 and Joseph Bertrand with 11 to go with a team-high eight rebounds.

Jacob Arnett led the Bisons with 17 points. Robert Boyd had 16.

The Illini had little inside threat without Leonard. Besides the eight points inside over the first 20 minutes, Illinois had only a slight edge on the boards by halftime, 22-19.

Lipscomb stayed in the game as a result. With 10:45 left in the first half, the Illini led 12-6, Sanderson reminded his team during a timeout that they were in a game that, on paper, maybe they shouldn't have been.

"They've scored 12 points on us," he told his team, repeating it for emphasis.

"If we could hold them to 12 points every 10 minutes," he added after the game, "I like our chances."

Down 19-14 with 6:55 left in the first half, Damarius Smith hit a breakaway layup off an Illinois turnover, drew a foul by Richardson and sank the free throw to cut Illinois' lead to two at 19-17.

Just over a minute later, Zavion Williams' jumper wobbled around the rim before rolling in, tying the game at 19 and setting off groans from a sparse crowd.

Many of Illinois' turnovers, Maniscalco said, were a product of trying to do too much.

"I just think making the easy play," the point guard said when asked how to fix the problem. "Not trying to hit the home run all the time."

The Illini moved back ahead on a jumper by Richardson, then bought themselves a little breathing room at 25-21 on a dunk by Tyler Griffey that stood out. Griffey, who is Illinois' most experienced big man with Leonard on the bench, only had two other first-half points.

With Leonard back on the court early in the second half, Lipscomb saw its biggest threat head to the bench for 2 ½ critical minutes with a left ankle injury.

Boyd had a team-high 11 points when he hobbled to the bench with 18:05 left in the game, and sat biting a towel, grimacing as a member of the Bisons staff worked on his ankle.

Meanwhile, the Illini opened up a nine-point lead. Leonard's tip-in and a breakaway layup by Mansicalco on back-to-back possessions made it 42-33 with 16:03 to play.

Just over three minutes later, back-to-back baskets by Paul and Nnanna Egwu stretched the lead to 17 at 50-33, part of the 14-0 run that all but finished the Bisons. With Leonard back, Illinois outrebounded Lipscomb 21-14 in the second half.

Paul had a quiet first half with four points. Weber said he challenged him at halftime and thought he responded well. Paul had eight second-half points and a pair of assists.

"I just told him he's got to come and play hard," Weber said. "He's got a chance to be special, but he's got to have that mindset."

Illinois will face Richmond on Tuesday in Cancun, Mexico. Lipscomb will travel to Illinois State on Saturday.

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