{"id":32454,"date":"2026-03-09T06:14:13","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T11:14:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/?p=32454"},"modified":"2026-03-09T06:24:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T11:24:38","slug":"no-11-illinois-outlasts-maryland-secures-quarterfinal-berth-in-b1g-tourney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thexradio.com\/news\/sports\/basketball\/32454-no-11-illinois-outlasts-maryland-secures-quarterfinal-berth-in-b1g-tourney\/","title":{"rendered":"No. 11 Illinois Outlasts Maryland, Nabs Quarterfinal Berth in Big 10 Tourney"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/header>\n
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — No. 11 Illinois outlasted host Maryland Sunday afternoon at\u00a0 XFINITY Center, capturing a 78-72 road win to close out the regular season and secure a top-four seed and a triple-bye into the quarterfinals at the upcoming Big Ten Tournament.<\/p>\n

Three Illini scored in double-figures, led by a clutch 22-point, 11-rebound double-double from freshman F David Mirkovic<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0that proved to be the difference in a back-and-forth battle. Mirkovic’s performance buoyed the Illini early in the game, and held off Maryland throughout the second half while starting guards\u00a0Keaton Wagler<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0and\u00a0Kylan Boswell<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0worked their way to 11 points each.<\/p>\n

Illinois (24-7, 15-5 B1G) and Maryland (11-20, 4-16 B1G) fought for 40 minutes, to the tune of 13 ties and four lead changes. Though they shot just 21% (5-14) from 3-point range, the Illini dominated down low with a 42-20 scoring edge in the paint, overcoming a 30-point outburst by UM freshman G Andre Mills.<\/p>\n

Jake Davis<\/a><\/dfn>,\u00a0Zvonimir Ivisic<\/a><\/dfn>, and\u00a0Andrej Stojakovic<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0all chipped in with eight points and two rebounds in the contest.\u00a0Davis and\u00a0Ben Humrichous<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0(6 points) each hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Illini, and Boswell connected on one. The team’s five makes from distance tied a season-low.<\/p>\n

Illinois\u00a0posted a 33-30 rebounding edge in the contest, and turned a slim 12-11 edge on the offensive glass into a 19-6 advantage in second-chance points. Illinois also shot 81% (21-26) from the free-throw line, registering 10 more makes than the Terps (11-for-15 FTs).<\/p>\n

After more than 35 minutes of game time in which neither team led by more than two possessions, it was at the line where the Illini closed out the win. A pair of\u00a0Zvonimir Ivisic<\/a><\/dfn>\u00a0free-throws at the 4:42 mark gave the Orange and Blue their largest lead of the day, 70-62. That started a closing stretch in which Illinois shot 8-for-10 from the free-throw line over the final 4:42 to secure the victory.<\/p>\n

Next up, Illinois will return to United Center in Chicago for the 2026 Big Ten Tournament which opens Tuesday. The Illini have earned a triple-bye into Friday’s quarterfinals as either the No. 3 or No. 4 seed. Illinois’ final seed will be determined Sunday evening by the outcome of Iowa at Nebraska.<\/p>\n

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

Players<\/strong><\/p>\n