No. 23 Illinois beats SIU Edwardsville 96-69

Posted November 13, 2009 10:00 pm

Associated Press

CHAMPAIGN -- Freshman guard Brandon Paul scored 22 points, and No. 23 Illinois rolled to a 96-69 victory over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Friday night.

The Illini, ranked in the preseason Top 25 for the first time since 2005, shot 55.4 percent from the field and scored their most points in a game since 105 against Longwood in 2004.

Paul and D.J. Richardson were the first freshmen to start for Illinois since Brian Randle in 2003. It also marked the first time that more than one freshman was in the Illini's starting lineup since the trio of Deron Williams, Dee Brown and James Augustine in 2002.

Denykco Bowles, Aamir McCleary and Stephen Jones led SIU-Edwardsville (0-1) with 13 points each.

The Illini's Jeff Jordan was forced to sit out the game as part of a two game suspension by the NCAA for playing in an unsanctioned event during the summer.

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