{"id":30726,"date":"2026-02-16T06:12:56","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:12:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?p=30726"},"modified":"2026-02-16T06:12:56","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T12:12:56","slug":"illinois-mens-basketball-team-powers-past-indiana-71-51","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/sports\/basketball\/30726-illinois-mens-basketball-team-powers-past-indiana-71-51\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois Men’s Basketball Team Powers Past Indiana, 71-51"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"image_print\"Print<\/span><\/a><\/div>

BY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS<\/strong><\/p>\n

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>No. 8 Illinois powered past Indiana, 71-51, in front of a sold-out crowd at the State Farm Center.<\/p>\n

The Illini (21-5, 12-3 B1G) secured the victory with a dominant 33-20 second half and a 38-25 rebounding advantage over the Hoosiers (17-9, 8-7 B1G).<\/p>\n

David Mirkovic<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0led the offensive charge with 25 points, shooting an efficient 10-for-16 from the field and sinking three 3-pointers. His 25 points marked a career-high against a Big Ten Opponent. Mirkovic was also dominant on the glass, grabbing seven rebounds, including a pair of offensive boards.<\/p>\n

Keaton Wagler<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0recorded 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and a career-high three steals. Wagler’s 18 points marks his 18th<\/sup>\u00a0consecutive outing scoring in double-digits.\u00a0Tomislav Ivisic<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0scored 14, 12 in the second half. He grabbed six boards, four on the offensive end.<\/p>\n

Returning to the floor following a seven-game absence with a broke right hand,\u00a0Kylan Boswell<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0tallied nine points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. He pulled in four rebounds on the offensive glass.<\/p>\n

Ben Humrichous<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0made a big impact on the win with eight rebounds and two steals. His team-leading eight boards is a season-high, and the most he’s had in a game since January 2025.<\/p>\n

Indiana opened the contest with a hot hand on 6-for-10 shooting to take a 15-14 lead. A 10-0 Illinois run, capped by 3-pointers from Boswell and Mirkovic, gave the Illini a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.<\/p>\n

The Illini bullied the Hoosiers throughout the first half, using an 18-12 rebounding advantage and 15 points from Mirkovic to create a 38-31 edge going into the locker room.<\/p>\n

Illinois dominated the early minutes of the second half, holding Indiana without a field goal for the first four minutes and eventually going on a 4-minute, 11-0 run to push their lead to 54-36 with 12 minutes to play.<\/p>\n

The Illini left no doubt, closing out the game on an 11-3 run to close out the 20-point victory.<\/p>\n

Illinois travels to the West Coast this week for a two-game road swing in Los Angeles, beginning Wednesday with a matchup at USC. Tipoff vs. the Trojans is set for 9 p.m. CT on Big Ten NetworK.<\/p>\n

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POSTGAME NOTES<\/strong><\/h3>\n

PLAYER NOTES<\/strong><\/p>\n