URBANA — Coming off their first loss of the season — a 56-45 defeat at LeRoy on Tuesday — the Illineks weren't about to drop two in a row.

Uni (5-1, 1-0) overcame an eight-point halftime deficit and outscored Shiloh 14-3 in the fourth quarter to beat the Raiders 40-35 Saturday at Kenney Gym.

Junior Dan Lilly led Uni with 16 points, adding four steals, four rebounds, and a pair of three-pointers.

Both teams stepped up their defensive play from the season opener, when Uni narrowly defeated Shiloh 49-48 on a buzzer beater by Lilly.

The teams combined for 22 fewer points than they did in that Nov. 24 matchup.

Shiloh took control early in Friday's contest, taking a 14-6 lead after the first quarter. The difference was the same at halftime, as the Raiders led 26-18.

In the second half, defense was the key for the Illineks as they held the visitors to just nine points.

The score was still reminiscent of a football game at the end of the third quarter, as Shiloh’s lead narrowed to 32-26.

Then Uni started closing the gap, and with 1:50 to play, Lilly hit a three-pointer off a skip pass from senior Malcolm Taylor, giving Uni the lead for good.

The Illineks' offensive output was their worst on the short season, but they held their opponent to the second-lowest total of the year.

Lilly was the only Uni player to score in double figures, and no one else scored more than six points.

Sophomore Warren Skoza led the team with nine rebounds, adding four points, two steals, and two blocks.

Junior Costa Cangellaris had one of the team's three treys, notching six points total. No Illinek had more than two assists.

With the nonconference win, Uni's record improves to 5-1 overall and stays 1-0 in the East Central Illinois Conference. Shiloh is 2-4.

The Illineks don't play again until Saturday, when they take on Fisher at Kenney Gym.

Uni vs. Shiloh at a Glance

Game Summary
Shl: 14 12 06 03 — 35
Uni: 06 12 08 14 — 40

Shiloh is 2-4

Individual Stats

• Dan Lilly: 16 pts (4-2-2)*, 4 rebs, 2 assts, 4 stls
• Costa Cangellaris: 6 pts (1-1-1), 2 rebs, 2 assts, 1 stl
• Alan Kessler: 5 pts (2-0-1), 5 rebs
• Warren Skoza: 4 pts (2-0-0), 9 rebs, 2 stls, 2 blks
• Nile Hamer: 3 pts (1-0-1), 1 reb, 2 blks
• Will Fernandez: 2 pts (1-0-0), 4 rebs, 1 stl
• Malcolm Taylor: 2 pts (1-0-0), 1 reb, 2 assts, 3 stls
• Charlie Wan: 2 pts (1-0-0)
• Miles Bribriesco: 0 pts, 1 reb
• Neil Pearson: 0 pts, 1 blk
• Joseph Song: 0 pts, 1 reb

*(x-y-z) = (2's made - 3's made - free throws made)

Team Totals (opponent in parentheses)

• Points: 40 (35)
• Two-pointers made: 13 (14)
• Three-pointers made: 3 (2)
• Free throws made: 5 (1)
• Rebounds: 28 (not available)
• Assists: 6 (n/a)
• Steals: 11 (n/a)
• Blocks: 5 (n/a)