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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The North Dakota State men's basketball team saw its 14-point, second-half lead over Illinois disappear on Sunday afternoon, eventually falling to the Fighting Illini 80-74 on the road.
 
Sophomore guard Paul Miller led NDSU with 19 points after putting up 13 in the first half. Sophomore Malik Clements came off the bench to score 16 points and grab six rebounds for the Bison.
 
NDSU (1-1 overall) led 39-28 at halftime and 42-28 after a three-pointer by A.J. Jacobson to open the second half. The Fighting Illini cut the margin to five at 44-39, but the Bison responded with a 7-2 run to go up 51-41 with 11 minutes remaining.
 
Illinois used an 8-0 run to take a 60-57 advantage with 5:39 left in the game, and the Bison never regained the lead.
 
Illinois (1-1) was led by 21 points and eight rebounds from senior forward Mike Thorne, Jr.
 
The Bison shot 52 percent in the first half but only 37 percent over the final 20 minutes. The Illinois comeback was keyed by 55-percent shooting in the second half.
 
Miller and Clements both drained four three-pointers, as the Bison hit 11-of-27 shots from beyond the arc in the game.
 
NDSU raced out to a quick start, leading Illinois 21-9 just over eight minutes into the game. Miller poured in eight points in the first 4:10.
 
The game was played off-campus at the Prairie Capital Convention Center in Springfield, Ill., due to renovations at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
 
NDSU returns home to host Valley City State on Wednesday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m.