The Illinois Fighting Illini have regained their swagger with a win on Friday night, ending the regular season on a three-game winning streak after a rough stretch of three straight losses by a combined 78 points.
Illinois freshman forward Will Riley dialed up 21 points and an Illini win over No. 18 Purdue on Friday at the State Farm Center in Champaign, but he also gave all of us something else: one more reason to love Bill Raftery.
Also in girls' high school basketball Thursday, Montini Catholic of Lombard, Illinois, beat Quincy Notre Dame.
BOTTOM LINE: Northern Illinois visits Miami (OH) after Chelby Koker scored 24 points in Northern Illinois’ 79-70 loss to the Toledo Rockets. The RedHawks are 8-5 on their home court. Miami (OH) is eighth in the MAC in rebounding with 30.9 rebounds. Amber Tretter paces the RedHawks with 9.1 boards.