Illinois Pushes Win Streak to Six Straight By Downing Northwestern 

Print

BY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

EVANSTON, Ill. –No. 13 Illinois captured a 79-68 road win at Northwestern on Wednesday night, extending the Fighting Illini’s season-long win streak to six games behind 22 points from Keaton Wagler and 21 from Tomislav Ivisic.

With the win, the Illini (14-3, 5-1 B1G) are off to their best 17-game start since the 2012-13 and improve to 4-0 on the road in Big Ten play for the first time since 2004-05.

Wagler poured in 20 of his 22 points in the second half – the most by a Big Ten freshman in a single stanza this season – including 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line.

Ivisic scored 14 points after the break, also knocking down three of his four 3-pointers after the intermission. He finished as the Illini’s top rebounder with seven total rebounds. He and Wagler (five total rebounds) each posted three offensive rebounds in the contest.

Kylan Boswell also finished in double-figures scoring with 13 points for the Illini, while adding four rebounds and a game-high six assists and two steals.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle that featured eight lead changes before an Illini run to close the period gave the Orange and Blue a lead they would not relinquish. Trailing 27-25, the Illini closed the period by outscoring the Wildcats 13-6 over the final four minutes of action to take control. Boswell accounted for the Illini’s final five points of the half.

Back-to-back 3-pointers from Wagler and Ivisic pushed the Illini lead into double-figures, 46-35, with 18 minutes to play. And a 9-0 Illini run that included a triple from Jake Davis followed by six straight points from Wagler extended the lead to 62-47 just past the midway point of the period.

Northwestern answered with a 10-0 run of their own to pull back within five points, 62-57. But Ivisic (11 points), Wagler (four), and Boswell (two) combined to score all 17 of the Illini’s points over the final 7:12 to close out the double-digit road win.

Illinois outscored Northwestern, 34-18, in the paint. The Orange and Blue also knocked down 11 3-pointers, the team’s Big Ten-leading 12^th game of the season with at least 10 triples.

Next up, Illinois returns to State Farm Center to open a two-game homestand Saturday vs. Minnesota. Tipoff vs. the Golden Gophers is set for 11 a.m. CT on BTN.

HIGHLIGHTS

Player Notes

• Keaton Wagler poured in a game-high 22 points, including 20 points and three 3-pointers in the second half, while adding five rebounds (three offensive) and three assists.
  • 14th double-digit scoring game of the season and fourth with 20+ points.
  • 20 second-half points are the most by a Big Ten player this season.
  • Team-most sixth game as the Illini’s leading scorer
  • Ninth straight game with 10+ points, averaging 18.3 ppg during that stretch
  • Ninth game of the season with multiple 3-pointers.
    • At least one 3-pointer in 16 of the first 17 games of his collegiate career, the most games with a triple on the team this season.
• Tomislav Ivisic knocked down four 3-pointers to finish with 21 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds (three offensive)
  • Second game of the season, seventh career, with 20+ points.
  • Sixth game of the season, 20^th career, with multiple 3-pointers
    • 77 3-pointers as an Illini, the most nationally among 7-footers over the last two seasons.
• Kylan Boswell posted 13 points, four rebounds (two offensive), and game-high totals with six assists and two steals.
  • 12th double-digit scoring game of the season and the 36th of his Illinois career in 51 games.
  • Fourth game of the season and 15^th of his career with 5+ assists.

Team Notes

• Starters: Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, Tomislav Ivisic, Andrej Stojakovic, and Keaton Wagler.
  • Fifth different lineup of the season.
• Illinois has recorded five Quad 1 wins this season, tied for the second-most in the nation.
• Illinois moves to 14-3 overall, the team’s best 17-game start since 2012-13.
• Illinois improves to 146-45 all-time vs. Northwestern and 66-31 in road games vs. the Wildcats.
  • Head coach Brad Underwood has led the Illini to an 11-5 record vs. Northwestern.
  • Underwood led Illinois to its second straight win over Northwestern, overall, and the Illini’s first win at Welsh-Ryan Arena since Jan. 29, 2022, snapping a three-game skid on the road vs. the Wildcats.
• Illinois has won six straight games since Dec. 22, the team’s longest win streak of the season.
• The Illini are 6-2 away from home this season with a 4-0 mark on the road.
• Illinois is 4-0 in road games in Big Ten play for the first time since 2004-05.
• The Illini have won five straight Big Ten road games dating back to last seasons, the program’s longest such streak since also claiming five straight conference road wins from Dec. 23, 2020 to Feb. 20, 2021.
• Illinois outrebounded Northwestern, 33-30.
  • Illinois has outrebounded 15 of 17 opponents this season with a 13-2 record in those contests.
• The Illini knocked down 11 3-pointers and improved to 10-2 in 12 games this season with at least 10 triples.
  • Illinois 12 games with 10+ 3-pointers are the most in the Big Ten this season.
• The #13 Illini are:
  • 666-270 (.712) all-time when ranked inside the AP Top 25, including a 164-150 (.522) on the road.
  • 56-7 (.889) all-time when facing Northwestern as a ranked team.
• 86^th Big Ten win since 2019-20, one behind Purdue for the most in the league over the last seven seasons.
  • Illinois has won a Big Ten-best 39 road games in league play over the last seven seasons.