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ST. LOUIS - Bruce Weber needed this one. Barely into his first season at Illinois, Weber was growing weary of comparisons to Bill Self, who left for Kansas. Tuesday's 71-70 win over No. 11 Missouri in the annual neutral-site "Braggin' Rights" game will help quiet the critics.
Asked if the No. 21 Illini (7-2) wanted to win the border-state grudge match for him, Weber said he had another priority,
"Shoot, I want them to win it for themselves," he explained. "They battled their butts off."
But guard Dee Brown, who led Illinois with 18 points and six assists, said criticism of Weber was motivation.
"I don't think people understand how much heat he's catching," Brown said. "But he's strong, and he just wants us to play hard no matter what. I think he's got all of our attention and we believe in him now."
It was a big one for Illinois, but one that almost got away. Missouri (4-2) overcame a 21-point deficit and tied it with 1:30 to play on a 3-pointer by Travon Bryant.
But James Augustine scored on a layup with 58.5 seconds to play to put Illinois back on top for good. Augustine had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
"I was thinking about it as Coach Weber's game and we couldn't let him down," Augustine said.
Bryant had a career-high 19 points in the loss.
NO. 2 KENTUCKY 101, EASTERN KENTUCKY 72: Gerald Fitch scored 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, and Erik Daniels had 15 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists for the Wildcats. Cliff Hawkins had 16 points and Kelenna Azubuike added 13 for Kentucky (7-0), which has won 27 consecutive regular-season games since an 81-63 loss to Louisville last Dec. 28. The Wildcats and Cardinals play Saturday at Rupp Arena. Kentucky shot 64 percent (43 of 67) and had a season-high 28 assists - many of them coming on fast breaks. Their active, swarming defense was just as impressive, generating 18 steals and 25 Eastern Kentucky turnovers. Michael Haney scored 15 points to lead the overmatched Colonels (3-5). Kentucky was playing its first home game since Nov. 28.
NO. 14 CINCINNATI 82, NO. 23 DAYTON 53: Jason Maxiell scored 19 and set the tone with four early jumpers for the Bearcats. Cincinnati (7-0) put all of its depth and muscle into the press as it dominated its toughest opponent yet. The Bearcats forced 17 turnovers in the first half alone. The flustered Flyers (9-1) had a season-high 27 turnovers, extending its futility in Cincinnati. The Flyers haven't won on the Bearcats' home court since 1971, a streak of 15 consecutive losses. "They came out and had something to prove and did a very good job of it," Dayton coach Brian Gregory said. "They can play so many guys, and they keep replenishing that speed and quickness on the court." The Bearcats used the game as a measuring stick. They wanted to not only beat their toughest opponent yet, but to dominate. "We knew we could make a statement by beating this team handily," point guard Nick Williams said.
NO. 20 LOUISVILLE 107, VMI 56: Taquan Dean scored a career-high 31 on a record-breaking flurry of 3-pointers for the Cardinals. Louisville opened on a 16-0 run and cruised the rest of the way. Dean, a sophomore guard, hit nine 3-pointers in 12 attempts in the Cardinals' 700th game in Freedom Hall, their home since 1956. "Our guys took care of business and did a professional job of passing," Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. "They thought pass before shot." The Cardinals set a school record with 34 assists, as their crisp passing led to an array of dunks and layups. Francisco Garcia had eight assists.
NO. 24 MARYLAND 85, N.C. GREENSBORO 58: Nik Caner-Medley scored 19 to lead four players in double figures for the Terrapins. Freshman Ekene Ibekwe had a career-high 13 for Maryland (7-2), which improved to 100-2 at home against non-conference opponents under Coach Gary Williams. The Spartans (4-6) shot 36 percent in the loss.