In the two games missed by Illinois’ Kasparas Jakucionis leading into Tuesday’s road matchup with Indiana, the Illini learned that they didn’t necessarily need their dynamic freshman guard to survive.

But they were also reminded how much better life is with him in the lineup.

Jakucionis, who had sat out games because of a left forearm strain, returned against the Hoosiers to score 21 points and add three rebounds and five assists in a 94-69 beatdown Tuesday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

The performance – both that of Jakucionis and No. 19 Illinois (13-4, 5-2 Big Ten) – eased any immediate concerns in Champaign after the Illini fell 82-72 to USC, a middling conference foe, in a listless effort Saturday.

Indiana (13-5, 4-3) was led by Oumar Ballo’s 16 points and 15 rebounds, and former Illini guard Luke Goode chipped in 13 points.

But the Hoosiers duo were also at the center of a late-game confrontation that saw Indiana’s frustrations boil over.

Tempers flared with Illinois up by 29 in the closing minutes, as Goode and Illinois center Tomislav Ivisic jawed at one another during a dead ball, prompting players from both sides to gather. One Hoosier made contact with Ivisic, and Ballo came rushing from 30 feet away to plow into the group and shove Ivisic, which, after some sorting from officials, got him tossed.

The Illini, meanwhile, couldn’t have been happier with the result. Jakucionis wasted no time reminding that he is the straw that stirs Illinois’ drink, scoring or assisting on all of the Illini’s first 10 points and putting in roughly a game’s worth of work by halftime, scoring 19 points by the break and sparking his club to a 60-32 lead.

But Illinois also got a chance – again – to prove its mettle while Jakucionis watches from the sideline. After the freshman picked up his fourth foul with 10:52 remaining in the second half, with the Illini nursing a comfy 69-48 lead, he checked out and guard Kylan Boswell took over.

Boswell knocked down a three off the dribble, drove hard to the rim to create opportunities for himself and teammates, and extended Illinois’ lead – to 85-56 – in the roughly five minutes Jakucionis sat out. Boswell finished with a game-high 22 points and seven rebounds.

Almost across the board, the Illini looked more themselves on Tuesday than they had against USC just days earlier. Ivisic shook off his doldrums with a 17-point, 11-rebound, four-assist effort. Illinois returned to owning the glass, outrebounding Indiana 51-37, and shut the Hoosiers down on the perimeter (22.2 percent on threes, including 0-for-6 in the first half).

But one bounce-back elevated over all the others: Jakucionis popped two three-pointers inside the first three minutes and scored 10 points during Illinois’ initial 27-12 sprint to start the game. He closed out the half, in its final moments, by snagging his third rebound and firing off his fourth assist to a streaking Boswell to spark the Illini fastbreak. A possession later, Jakucionis jump-stopped in the lane and spun to earn the hoop and the foul, hitting the free throw to send Illinois into the break up 60-32.

Morez Johnson Jr. added five points and 11 rebounds, driving the Illini to advantages in paint scoring (34-26) and second-chance points (19-6), despite the efforts of Ballo.

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