CHICAGO -- Illinois allowed a 16-point lead to dwindle to one, but the Illini turned two BYU turnovers into baskets in the final minute to escape with a 75-73 victory Saturday night at United Center as part of the Chicago Legends doubleheader.

Senior center Maverick Morgan (14 points, 10 rebounds) transformed the first BYU miscue into a jumper, then sixth-year senior point guard Tracy Abrams (team-high 15 points) stole the ball for a layup as Illinois (9-3) won its fifth game in a row.

Sophomore forward Eric Mika, the reigning West Coast Conference Player of the Week, led everybody with 25 points for BYU (7-4). Sophomore guard Nick Emery added 16 points, but his potential game-winning 3-pointer from 40 feet banged off the back of the rim at the buzzer.

BYU took its only lead at 5-4 when Emery buried a 3-pointer 2:35 into the game. Illinois sophomore guard Jalen Coleman-Lands (12 points) answered with a 3-pointer and the Illini rode a balanced attack to a double-digit lead.

Illinois owned a 41-25 margin with 4:37 left in the first half on sophomore forward D.J. Williams' layup, but the Cougars responded with an 11-0 run that made it 41-36 with 1:57 to go. Illinois went into the locker room with a 43-37 lead.

BYU pulled within two points on three occasions in the second half, but each time Illinois scored on its next possession to ensure the Cougars didn't have the ball with a chance to take the lead.

Freshman guard Colby Leifson's 3-pointer with 6:12 to go pulled BYU within 60-58, but Abrams buried a 3-pointer, senior swingman Malcolm Hill turned a steal into a breakaway jam and Abrams sank a jumper in a 63-second stretch to boost their margin to 67-58.

That didn't dissuade the Cougars as they launched another charge.

Leifson canned another 3-pointer with 1:59 left to cut Illinois' lead to 69-68. BYU regained possession with a chance to take the lead, but Hill (10 points) stole it from Leifson to set up Morgan's jumper. Then Abrams swiped the ball from Emery for the layup and a 73-68 edge.