CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In a game noteworthy for big men and 3-point shooting, it might have been easy to dismiss Arizona’s tough-talking, ever-hustling point guard as just some over-caffeinated guy darting around the perimeter for little good.
That’s how Kerr Kriisa appeared to fool Illinois.
In No. 11 Arizona’s 83-79 win over the Illini on Saturday, Kriisa shot only 1 for 6 and had two turnovers to two assists in the first half, unable to help much while Illinois took a four-point halftime lead.
Then he led the Wildcats to their biggest win of the year down the stretch of what became a tight, one-or-two-possession game, pouring in 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting over the final 10 minutes.
“They were a little bit more passive on me (late in the game) because I think they didn’t really think that I’m going to do anything,” Kriisa said. “Then I saw the chance and I tried to get us going.”
Kriisa also made all four free throws he took in the final 10 minutes while drawing a foul and dishing an assist to leading scorer Bennedict Mathurin, who had 30 points. And he provided leadership in a challenging atmosphere, with a sellout crowd of over 15,000 at State Farm Center far noisier than anything the Wildcats have experienced before, on the road or at home.
“It was pretty hard to call plays so Kerr just took the role of the point guard,” Mathurin said. “He was like `Yo, let’s go guys. Let’s play basketball. Just hoop.’ ”
Even Kriisa’s one mistake over those final 10 minutes, a turnover, wouldn’t have even happened had Kriisa not rebounded a missed shot from teammate Azuolas Tubelis in the first place.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood said Kriisa was “instrumental” in the Wildcats’ victory, saying the Illini twice lost Kriisa in transition, and Mathurin once.
“Put it in all caps: Softness. Soft,” Underwood said, when asked what would stick with him about Illinois’ loss. “If people ever know my team to be that, that’s what I have a hard time with. When we’re not gritty enough to get a stop against a really good player when we need to, that’s something I’ve got to get right.”
Illinois' Trent Frazier, top, battles for the ball with Arizona's Kerr Kriisa in the first half. Kriisa's play down the stretch helped UA win 83-79 to improve to 9-0.
Despite scoring 27 points and hitting 6 of 11 3-pointers, Illinois guard Trent Frazier didn’t appear to feel much better. He said what the Illini call “winning time” down the stretch turned into losing time.
“We allowed Kriisa and Mathurin to get going, the head of the snakes,” Frazier said. “We gave up easy buckets down the stretch and that can’t happen.”
Kriissa finished with 7-for-16 shooting overall and Mathurin went 10 of 17, and the crowd filed out of State Farm Center quietly.
It was the best sound Kriisa and Mathurin could have imagined.
Kriisa said he was “sure all of us had tons of fun” winning in such an atmosphere, including players, coaches and even his mom, who traveled from Estonia to catch the Wildcats’ past three games. Mathurin, having silenced the crowd early with two 3s, agreed.
“I saw all the seats were full,” Mathurin said. “We’re still undefeated. We came into Illinois, they have a pretty good team, they were trying to take us down and we won the game. So I just feel like when we come back to McKale it has to be full again.”
Patience with Terry
Guard Dalen Terry played only five minutes in the first half after picking up two quick fouls and wildly missed a 3-pointer from the left wing in the second half that could have pulled Arizona into a tie with Illinois with 11 minutes left.
But Lloyd said he had no intention of taking him out.
“No, no, no. Listen, I trust that kid. I love that kid,” Lloyd said. “I just told him `You don’t have to settle for that shot. It’s not your strength. So let’s play to your strengths. Let’s do what we’re most comfortable doing and get shots on our terms.’
“And, hey, a good defensive team will knock you off your way a little bit and I thought we did a good job of settling in and responding.”
As it turned out, Lloyd said, Terry’s presence was needed against Frazier, who took 10 shots in the first half while scoring 16 points — but took only five shots after halftime while scoring another 11 on 3-for-5 shooting.
“Having Dalen in there in the second half helped, with his energy out there, ” Lloyd said. “He kind of neutralized (Frazier) a little bit.”
Tight bench
With Terry playing only 22 minutes and reserve forward Kim Aiken missing a second straight game for unexplained reasons, the Wildcats went only eight deep. Off the bench, Pelle Larsson played 14 minutes, Justin Kier 12 and Oumar Ballo 11.
Lloyd said Aiken’s presence “potentially” might have helped the Wildcats defensive in a game where Illinois hit 16 of 36 3-pointers.
“Bodies would have helped,” Lloyd said. “But we shortened that bench pretty tight and kind of withstood some foul issues.”
Cockburn contained
While center Christian Koloko had only four points on 2-for-7 shooting, Lloyd said he “really impacted the game in stretches,” being part of a group that dominated in the inside scoring and helped make Illinois center Kofi Cockburn work hard for his 13 points, which came on 5-for-15 shooting.
“Getting outscored 42 to 16 in the paint when you’ve got Kofi — that’s problematic,” Underwood said. “Not many nights you see Kofi go 5 for 15. So give them credit. They got stops when they had to.”
