CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Dee Brown scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half Saturday night as 13th-ranked Illinois grabbed a big lead and rolled over Western Illinois, 94-66.
Roger Powell added 14 points and James Augustine 12 and 13 rebounds for Illinois, which won its fifth straight season opener and 86th of 99 all time.
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Coach Bruce Weber, who joined the Illini after five years at Southern Illinois following Bill Self's decision to take the Kansas job, became the ninth straight Illinois coach to win his debut with the program.
Illinois trailed, 3-2, before Deron Williams nailed a jumper 55 seconds into the contest that gave the team the lead for good. The basket started a 35-6 run.
