Boston,  MA  (SportsNetwork.com) -  Rayvonte Rice  poured in  28 points as the 
Illinois  Fighting Illini  used  a  second half  surge  to  down  the  Boston 
University  Terriers, 66-62,  in the  first round  of the  National Invitation 
Tournament at Agganis Arena. 

Rice knocked down 11-of-14 shots from the floor and pulled down eight rebounds 
for  Illinois (20-14), which will take on Clemson in the second round. Malcolm 
Hill posted 10 points and eight boards in the victory. 

D.J.  Irving  paced the Terriers  (24-11) with  17 points on 5-of-7 efficiency 
from the field, while John Papale and Dom Morris chipped in 10 points apiece. 

Boston  took a 33-24  lead into the intermission after it made 40.7 percent of 
its  field  goal attempts, including a  7-of-15 clip from 3-point range in the 
opening  20  minutes of the  contest. The Illini  were limited to 40.9 percent 
shooting  from the  floor and hit on  only 2-of-8 tries from beyond the arc in 
the first half. 

Illinois  heated up to sink 58.3 percent of its field goal tries in the second 
stanza  while the  Terriers shot 44.4 percent from the floor. Boston led 55-45 
with  just over  nine minutes remaining in regulation, but the visitors scored 
the next eight points to make it a one possession game by the 5:44 mark of the 
second  stanza. Rice  tallied seven consecutive points to help Illinois take a 
64-61  lead with  just under a minute  left before the final buzzer and Boston 
could not manage to score another point the rest of the way. 

The Illini  enjoyed a 35-23  edge in the  rebounding battle and outscored the 
Terriers, 24-16, in the paint.