Illinois opened the season with 79-65 rout of visiting UC Irvine, Monday in the 2K Sports Classic at Assembly Hall.

The Illini (1-0) stormed out to 36-10 lead and never looked back. Sophomore guard Brandon Paul came off the bench to lead four Illinois players in double-digits with 18. Paul hit 6 of his 8 3-point attempts to fuel a strong effort from the Illini reserves.

The Anteaters (0-1) improved in the second half, but couldn't overcome the slow start and didn't have the depth to hang with the Illini. Illinois bench outscored UC Irvine's reserves 31 to 10.

Demetri McCarney added 13 points, and Mike Tisdale added 12 with a team-high 8 rebounds for Illinois.

Darren Moore led UC Irvine with 19 points, and Eric Wise posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Illinois continues play in the 2K Sports Classic Wednesday, when Toledo visits Assembly Hall. UC Irvine will try to bounce back at Southern California Friday.