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CHAMPAIGN, Illinois (Ticker) -- Cory Bradford took advantage of a return home and a little-known opponent to help second-ranked Illinois rebound from its first loss of the season. Bradford scored 23 points, including six 3-pointers, and Frank Williams and Robert Archibald added 12 apiece as Illinois cruised to a 80-56 rout of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Fighting Illini (6-1) extended their winning streak at Assembly Hall to 21 games with the win. That represents Illinois' longest streak since registering 28 in a row from February 11, 1988 to January 15, 1990. Bradford scored 17 points in the opening 20 minutes. The senior guard went 4-of-7 from 3-point range to help the Fighting Illini open up a 43-26 halftime lead. Illinois saw its weeklong road trip end with a 76-63 defeat at No. 4 Maryland on Tuesday, when Bradford was held to just eight points. The Islanders (1-3) received 15 points from Derrick Murphy. But Texas A&M-Corpus Christi -- a Division I independent -- lost its third straight game, as well as its first meeting with the Big Ten Conference powerhouse. Williams, a Wooden Award candidate, struggled once again from the field. After making just 3-of-16 shots for 10 points against Maryland on Tuesday, the 2001 Big Ten Player of the Year went just 3-of-12 from the field on Saturday. Despite his recent struggles, Williams still led the team in scoring with 15.0 points per game entering Saturday. Seldon-used Nick Smith provided a offensive spark for the Fighting Illini. The 7-2 center scored 11 points in just 14 minutes, going 5-of-8 from the field. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi did not have an answer to Illinois' size. The Fighting Illini enjoyed a 33-24 edge on the glass. 6-10 forward Brian Cook registered three of Illinois' eight blocked shots, while the visitors had none. Illinois takes to the road again on Tuesday, when it meets Arizona, which defeated the Illini to reach the Final Four in the Midwest Region final a year ago.
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