Northwestern 73, Illinois 68
Jeremy Nash scored 22 points, John Shurna added 19 and Northwestern went on a run late in the second half to beat Illinois 73-68 Saturday night after dropping 11 straight to the Illini.
Drew Crawford scored 15, and the Wildcats (14-5, 3-4 Big Ten) got a measure of revenge for an overtime loss last month that spoiled their first AP poll appearance in nearly 41 years. They went on a 15-2 run that turned a six-point deficit into a 61-54 lead and hung on from there, sending Illinois to its third straight loss.
Guard D.J. Richardson led the Illini (12-8, 4-3) with 17 points, but the big men were quiet after dominating the Wildcats last month.
Center Mike Tisdale finished with 14 points and six rebounds after lighting up Northwestern for 31 points and 11 boards. Mike Davis, meanwhile, was scoreless after going for 20 and 17 last time.