"We obviously played really well at both ends," Groce said. "Everything was clicking. We emphasized playing with more pace and our pace hit them between the eyes in the first half. That tempo was not to their liking. Guys were stepping up and making shots. And our defense was really good in the first half. I was very pleased with our effort."

Groce told his team that if they could force USC to play zone or switch on ball screens, that would be a good sign for the Illini.

"They did that," he said. "They tried everything. Our guys really executed. They were locked in."

Tupper