• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Arizona meets Illinois for first time since tournament classic

Dec 2, 2006 - 3:49 PM Illinois (7-1) at No. 16 Arizona (4-1) 5:15 pm EST

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Even though it's an early-season matchup, Arizona and Illinois will be renewing acquaintances after a classic postseason clash.

The 16th-ranked Wildcats will face off against the Illini on Saturday in the Hall of Fame Challenge.

The two teams will meet for the first time since Illinois eliminated Arizona from the regional finals in the 2005 NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats blew a 15-point lead in the final four minutes and were denied a spot in the Final Four.

On Tuesday, Marcus Williams collected 24 points, eight rebounds and four steals for Arizona en route to an 89-75 victory over UNLV in a non-conference matchup. A 6-7 sophomore, Williams made 10-of-15 shots, including all four of his 3-pointers.

Ivan Radenovic scored 27 points and freshman Chase Budinger chipped in 15 and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats, who have won four straight games since dropping their season opener at Virginia.

Also, on Tuesday, Shaun Pruitt scored 18 points as Maryland outlasted Illinois, 72-66, in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Terrapins snapped the Illini's non-conference home winning streak at 51 games, which was the nation's longest.