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What happened

Andres Feliz played his best game in an Illini uniform, exploding for a season-high 26 points and led Illinois to an 81-76 win over Northwestern.

Illinois got off to a hot start and held off a surge from their in-state rival to improve to 11-18 overall and 7-11 in Big Ten play.

Illinois used a hounding 1-2-2 three-quarter court press which gave Northwestern fits, and a personal 5-0 run from Andres Feliz gave Illinois a 16-4 lead with 14:29 left in the first half. Ayo Dosunmu’s right-wing trey stretched Illinois’ lead out to 19-6.

Northwestern started the game ice cold, shooting just 2-for-12 from the field and just 30 percent in the first half. The Wildcats shot just 1-for-13 from three-point range in the first half as Illinois built up a 39-27 lead at the break thanks to 11 from Feliz and nine from Dosunmu. But the Wildcats heated up in the second half, splashing four of their first six triples and got within 46-43. Illinois responded with a 10-2 run as Dosunmu got going with a beautiful dime to Alan Griffin for a bucket on an inbounds play and a corner trey to give Illinois some breathing room.

Northwestern got back to within 77-74 with 28 seconds left in the game after Miller Kopp knocked down three straight foul shots after being fouled by Dosunmu. But Illinois had no intentions of letting Northwestern steal one away. Feliz knocked down two more clutch free throws to make it a two-possession game (79-74).

After shooting 18-for-28 from the charity stripe the last time playing at the State Farm Center, Illinois knocked down 33-of-38 attempts to salt the game away,

Illinois’ best four players came to play. Feliz, Dosunmu (12 points, five assists, five rebounds) Giorgi Bezhanishvili (12 points, 7 rebounds) and Trent Frazier (11 points) combined for 61 of Illinois’ 81 points.

Northwestern was led by Dererk Pardon's 16 points and nine rebounds. The Wildcats slipped to 12-17 overall and 3-15 in Big Ten play.

What it means: If Illinois had lost to their in-state rivals on Sunday, it would’ve taken the air out of an encouraging Big Ten performance. It would’ve been the fourth loss in a row and the lowly Wildcats would’ve swept Illinois this season. But they found a way to get it done in the second half thanks to Feliz and Dosunmu. Illinois is now tied with Rutgers for ninth in the Big Ten and they hold the tiebreaker thanks to a 99-94 overtime victory on Feb. 9. Illinois is just one game behind Ohio State and Minnesota who are tied for seventh in the Big Ten. With two games remaining in the Big Ten, there’s still a chance for Illinois to get the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Plus, the win over Northwestern gives Illinois a little more of a cushion as they try to stay out of the bottom four and earn a first-round bye.

Key stat: Northwestern shot 1-for-13 from three-point range in the first half, but the Wildcats went 4-for-6 from downtown to spark a 16-7 run to start the second half. But the Illini defense clamped down on the shooters, as Northwestern finished just 2-for-8 from behind the arc and 7-for-27 for the game. Illinois also outrebounded Northwestern by 10 (39-29) and made 16 more free throws than their in-state rivals.

Star of the game: Andres Feliz has really come alive during Big Ten play and sparked Illinois big-time in the first half. Feliz finished with 11 of his 26 in the first half, and he bullied Northwestern all night long. Feliz was a monster in transition and went coast-to-coast twice during a personal 5-0 run in the first half. He also dished out three dimes and was a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe. On a night when Trent Frazier managed just three first-half points, it was Feliz that gave the Illini energy in the first half. When Illinois came out in a second-half stupor, Feliz once again lit the fire. Plus, Feliz knocked down 5 of 6 free throws in the final minute and finished an incredible 16 of 17 for the game.

Don’t overlook: Illinois was fantastic from the charity stripe, finishing 33-for-38. The last time the Illini played at the State Farm Center, they were just 18-for-28 in the seven-point loss to Penn State. Feliz was 16-for-17. Bezhanishvili was 8-for-8 and Frazier was 6-for-6. Illinois' season-high was 23 makes against Ohio State on Dec. 5, and the Illini obliterated that number out of the water. If Illinois doesn't knock down those free throws in the second half, Northwestern could've had the ammunition to hand Illinois a crushing loss.

What’s next: Illinois will honor Aaron Jordan and Adonis De La Rosa for Senior Night on Thursday at 7 p.m when they take on rival Indiana. The Hoosiers (15-12, 6-11 Big Ten) defeated Illinois 73-65 in Bloomington (Ind.) on Jan. 3. Freshman star Romeo Langford dropped a career-high 28 points in the win, but Indiana lost 12 of their last 13 following the win over the Illini. The Hoosiers have their backs against the wall, and they’ve won back-to-back games over ranked opponents with a 75-73 double-overtime win over No. 19 Wisconsin and a comeback 63-62 victory over No. 6 Michigan State. Both squads will be fighting to earn a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament.