Illinois holds off Nebraska 81-71

LINCOLN, Neb. (A P) — Once again Illinois got all it could handle during a visit to Nebraska.

Trent Frazier scored a season-high 29 points, Kofi Cockburn had his eighth straight double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, and the 25th- ranked Illini held off the struggling Cornhuskers for a hard-earned 81-71 victory Tuesday night.

The Illini (12-3, 5-0 Big Ten) have won five straight games and 10 of 11 and are out to their best start in conference play since 2005.

BIG PICTURE:

Illinois: The Illini have won nine straight Big Ten regular-season games and 12 in a row including last year’s conference tournament.

Nebraska: The Huskers have played some of their best basketball at home but again couldn’t get over the hump. They haven’t beaten a ranked opponent since March 2019.

UP NEXT

Illinois: Hosts Michigan on Friday.

Nebraska: Visits Purdue on Friday.