André Curbelo impresses with his first victory in the NCAA Championship in Illinois

Puerto Rican goalkeeper André Curbelo and the University of Illinois Fighting Illini began their participation in the NCAA (March Madness) tournament on Friday, with an easy and resounding 78-49 victory over Drexler.

Curbelo played 23 minutes and scored eight points with six assists and three rebounds, but the dominant figure was the center of Kofi Cockburn, who gave the strongest “blows” of the game.

The strong man donated the ball at will and won dominating the scene in the picture, and several of these balls were served by the Puerto Rican, who came into play after just over three minutes of action and immediately changed the tone.

In fact, Curbelo made some spectacular plays in the second half, when luck seemed to be thrown in favor of Fighting Illini, adding some fantasy to the Illinois game. One of them was a sensational pass between the legs of a rival, who received Cockburn to get one of his many ball dunks. Shortly after, the Puerto Rican goalkeeper scored himself in the penetration between two Drexel players, which he avoided by changing his hand.

Cockburn was the best in Illinois and the game with 18 points, in addition to recovering five rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmu had a solid game with 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Two more baskets, both in the draw, scored in double digits for Illinois, which entered the March Madness as the series leader in its Midwest region and as the Big Ten conference champion.

Illinois advanced to the second round with its victory and will face in the second round the winner of the match between Loyola (8) and Georgia Tech (9), which also plays this Friday.

Curbelo, 19, who had just scored 16 points as Cockburn and Dosunmu in that last Big Ten game, came in when the first four minutes had not yet been played and Fighting Illini went 5-2.

The rookie goalkeeper who received the “Best Sixth Man” of his conference, made a failed first shot on the basket, while his team was still down by three points, but shortly afterwards made two assists almost consecutive, both feeding his teammate. The second of the assists came after Curbelo himself caught a defensive rebound and, after lowering the ball, gave it to Frazier, who hit a triple that gave Illinois the first lead, 7-5.

A few games, then the Puerto Rican scored in the layup after Drexel led 8-7, and Illinois never gave up. There were seven points in which Curbelo was involved in an instant to turn the scoreboard.

The Illinois rally at the entrance to Curbelo was 15-3 before Drexel hit a 3-point Zach Walton with 10:03 remaining in the first half, reaching 17-11. Illinois won the first half 39-21 and the second 39-28, for the bottom line off-court.

Puerto Rican player Trent Frazier, with 11 points, and 10-year-old Adam Miller was the other two double-digit baskets for Illinois. Jacob Grandison scored eight as did Curbelo.