- Matchup: Sam Houston Bearkats vs Illinois Fighting Illini
- Date: Friday, November 13, 2026
- Venue: State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
- Broadcast: B1G+
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This Friday, the Illinois Fighting Illini (2-1) will face off against the Sam Houston Bearkats (2-1) at the State Farm Center.
The Sam Houston Bearkats recently secured a victory over Pepperdine with a score of 85-77 in their last outing. In the game, the Bearkats accrued a total of 19 personal fouls, while Pepperdine committed 24. From beyond the arc, Sam Houston managed to hit 10 of their 25 attempts. Pepperdine shot 55.6% from the free-throw line, making 15 of their 27 attempts, and recorded 30 rebounds—8 offensive and 22 defensive—though they did not achieve any blocks. Pepperdine registered 10 assists and 7 steals for the game. Defensively, Sam Houston allowed a shooting percentage of 45.6% from the field, with Pepperdine completing 26 of 57 shots. The Bearkats tallied 6 assists, forced 9 turnovers, and achieved 6 steals. In rebounding, they accumulated 41 boards, including 11 offensive rebounds. From the charity stripe, the Bearkats finished with 34 successful free throws out of 38 attempts, giving them an impressive percentage of 89.5%. Overall, Sam Houston managed a field goal shooting rate of 39.7% (23 of 58) and excelled with 5 of 20 from three-point range.
Aidan McDowell was a standout performer, shooting 45.5% from the field without any assists. He played 31 minutes, recorded 2 rebounds, and scored 20 points on 5 of 11 shooting.
Entering this matchup, Sam Houston holds a record of 2-1 for the season. They average 16.7 turnovers per game while committing 15.7 fouls. The team is pulling in an average of 51.3 rebounds per game and has a total of 43 assists this season, positioning them 226th in college basketball for assists per game. The Bearkats secure 33.8% of their three-point attempts (27 of 80) and have a free-throw percentage of 70.7%. Offensively, they are averaging 87.0 points per game, ranking them 98th in the nation, while shooting 44.2% from the field.
Defensively, the Bearkats force an average of 11.3 turnovers per game while drawing 21.3 personal fouls. They allow opposing teams to shoot 29.7% from three-point range and rank 264th in Division I for points allowed per game (77.3). Sam Houston’s defense permits a field goal percentage of 40.2% (82 of 204) and concedes an average of 35.0 rebounds per game, ranking 169th in college basketball in assists allowed with 37 for the season.
In their previous match, the Illinois Fighting Illini faced defeat against Texas Tech, losing 84-78. During the game, they collected 19 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive boards for a total of 29 rebounds. The Fighting Illini turned the ball over 16 times but managed to achieve 8 steals. Texas Tech was called for 17 fouls, allowing Illinois 19 free-throw attempts, of which they converted 8 for a rate of 42.1%. From long distance, Illinois made 10 out of 34 attempts (29.4%). The Fighting Illini shot 30 out of 60 from the field, achieving a field goal percentage of 50.0%. Defensively, they allowed Texas Tech to convert 26 out of 65 shots, resulting in a percentage of 40.0%. Illinois allowed Texas Tech to hit 9 of 27 three-pointers, finishing strong at the free-throw line by hitting 23 of 26 for an impressive 88.5%. Overall, Illinois surrendered 33 rebounds, 14 of which were offensive.
Quentin Coleman made a significant contribution to the Fighting Illini’s efforts, shooting 7 out of 9 for an outstanding field goal percentage of 77.8%, along with grabbing 5 rebounds. He ended the game with 19 points in 28 minutes, facilitating 4 assists.
The Fighting Illini currently have a 2-1 record. They commit 16.3 personal fouls per game and are hitting 56.9% from the free-throw line. The team averages 22.0 assists per game, ranking them 23rd in the country, while averaging 14.0 turnovers per game. Illinois has scored a total of 310 points this season, averaging 103.3 points per game, and collecting 53.0 rebounds per game. Their shooting percentage from the field stands at an impressive 55.1%, placing them 9th nationally.
On the defensive end, Illinois ranks 107th in Division 1 for points allowed per game with 66.3. They force an average of 11.7 turnovers per game and permit opponents to shoot 32.1% from the field, ranking 16th in college basketball. From three-point distance, they hold opponents to a shooting percentage of 25.3% (24 of 95), while allowing them to convert 75.0% of their free-throw attempts. In terms of assists and rebounds allowed, they concede 11.0 assists and 32.3 rebounds per game, ranking 96th and 116th respectively in those defensive categories.
Who will be victorious in tonight’s NCAA matchup against the spread?
Prediction: Bet on Illinois
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