Nov. 23 -- The first double-double of Johnson's college career came at an opportune time for Illinois, which relied on his 10-point, 13-rebound effort to secure a 47-point victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore at State Farm Center. Johnson wasn't Illinois' leading scorer -- that was Will Riley, who scored 19 points -- but was the team's leading rebounder as he eclipsed Tre White's mark of 11 rebounds. Eight of Johnson's boards came on the defensive glass, with the freshman chipping in an assist and a block to help the winning cause.

All of Riley's offensive output came in the second half, with the freshman totaling a point for every minute he was on the floor. Kylan Boswell chipped in 13 points of his own, while UMES was unable to sustain any offensive success throughout the game. That was a credit to Illinois' defense, which held the Hawks to just 15-68 from the field and 1-12 from beyond the arc during the first half. Jalen Ware, UMES' leading scorer, was held to 10 points on a 4-13 effort from the field.

The efforts Johnson and White helped Illinois secure a 59-38 rebounding advantage, with 40 of Illinois' boards coming on the defensive glass. And 7-1 newcomer Tomislav Ivisic played well alongside Johnson and White, with 11 points including a make from beyond the three-point line.

Ten of Illinois' 12 players scored on Saturday afternoon, with Riley leading all scorers in 19 minutes off the bench. The Hawks' bench was not particularly impactful, with only Hassan Perkins, Kyrell Shaw and Ralph Martino Jr. contributing bench points in the Hawks's 10-man rotation.

Ultimately, Illinois did exactly what it needed to do in trying to put a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Nov. 20 in the rear-view mirror. There are plenty of positives for the Illini to take into a meeting with Little Rock on Monday at 8 p.m. at State Farm Center.