Las Vegas, NV -- Luther Head scored a game-high 18 points to lead top-ranked Illinois over Northwestern State, 69-51, in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic at Valley High School.

James Augustine added 12 points for the Fighting Illini (13-0), who are off to their best start since 1988-89 when the school began the season with 17 straight wins under coach Lou Henson.

Clifton Lee, Jermaine Spencer and Jermaine Wallace each netted seven points off the bench for the Demons (5-7), who dropped their fifth straight game on the heels of a five-game win streak. This was Northwestern State's first-ever game against a top-ranked team.

"This team we played, Northwestern State, was good," Head said.

The game was knotted at 18-18, but the Fighting Illini responded with a 17-2 run and they led the rest of the way.

"They wore down and we wore them down and they never got going," Illinois coach Bruce Weber said.

Head capped off the burst on a three-pointer with just under four minutes to play in the first half. He finished with five field goals from behind the arc.

Northwestern State trailed 42-28 at the intermission and never got within single digits in the second half.

Illinois held Northwestern State to 37 percent shooting.

"I felt like we competed for the whole 40 minutes," Northwestern State coach Mike McConathy said. "We did have more turnovers in the second half than we did in the first, but I think a lot of that was the kids wanted it too bad and made a lot of not very intelligent plays."

Game Notes:

Illinois also won the only other meeting with Northwestern State, a 96-54 decision from the Demons in the first round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament...UI will face No. 22 Cincinnati in Vegas on Friday night before kicking off Big Ten play at home against Ohio State on January 5th...There are 10 undefeated teams left in the nation...The game was played with experimental rules. This included the 3-point line extended to 20 feet, 6 inches, a free throw lane that was widened 18 inches on each side, and an arc drawn two feet from the center of the hoop to assist with charge/block calls.