CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – #20 Illinois wrapped up its nonconference schedule with a 90-55 win against Southern at State Farm Center on Monday afternoon.
Leading by as many as 36, the Fighting Illini enter the new year with a 10-3 record ahead of the resumption of Big Ten play later this week.
Keaton Wagler registered his second-career double-double with 11 points and 10 assists. He also grabbed seven rebounds and made two steals.
Jake Davis drained five 3-pointers, tying his career-best tally, and finished the day with a team-high 15 points while going 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.
Zvonimir Ivisic secured 13 points and three blocks, while twin brother Tomislav Ivisic totaled 11 points, seven rebounds, and a block.
David Mirkovic logged 11 points while going 5-for-7 from the field. Making his first four shots, he also added six rebounds and two assists.
A 12-4 Illini run early in the first half propelled the home side to an early 15-6 advantage. Four minutes later, the hosts' edge moved into double digits for the first time following 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions.
Davis' third trey of the day sent the Illini's lead above the 20-point mark for the first time with 1:53 in the period, and the Orange and Blue eventually entered the break with a 46-25 advantage.
The Illini shot 57.7% from the field across the first half while knocking down eight 3-pointers during the frame.
Holding the Jaguars to only one field goal in the span of six-and-a-half minutes in the second half, the Illini pieced together a 12-2 run, which extended their edge to 58-30 with 13:26 remaining.
That advantage climbed to 30 with 11 minutes left, and a 10-2 run soon after lengthened that lead to 74-38 with eight minutes to go.
The Illini lead grew as large as 36 as the Orange and Blue closed out the victory for their 10th triumph of the season.
Illinois now returns to Big Ten play, beginning Saturday with a trip to the historic Palestra in Philadelphia, where they will take on Penn State. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes
- Keaton Wagler finished just shy of a triple double with 11 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, with two steals, despite sitting for the final 5:18 minutes.
- Posted his second points-assists double-double of the season and his second in the last three games.
- Fifth straight game in double-figures scoring
- Averaging 18.2 ppg since Dec. 6 win vs. Tennessee in Nashville.
- Tied his career high with 10 assists.
- Sixth game of the season (fifth consecutive) with at least four assists.
- Averaging 6.8 apg over last five contests.
- Had a game-high six assists in the first half.
- Jake Davis finished with a season-high 15 points, his most as an Illini, a block, and one assist.
- Tied his career-high with five 3-pointers set during his freshman season at Mercer (vs. UNC Greensboro in 2023-24.
- Sixth game of the season with multiple triples.
- Zvonimir Ivisic scored 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor going 3-for-5 from deep with three blocks and a rebound.
- Fifth game of the season in double-figures scoring
- Tied his season high with three 3-pointers (Nov. 7 vs. FGCU)
- Tomislav Ivisic added 11 points, seven rebounds, and a block.
- Sixth game of the season in double-figures scoring
- David Mirkovic put up 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting with six rebounds.
- Reached double-figures scoring for the 10th time this season
- Made his first four shots from the field and finished 5-7 (.714) for the game.
Team Notes
- Starters: Kylan Boswell, Tomislav Ivisic, David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, and Keaton Wagler.
- Illinois outrebounded Southern, 45-26.
- The Illini held a 19-9 advantage in the first half.
- Illinois scored 18 second-chance points on 16 offensive rebounds.
- Illinois hit 14 3-pointers. They have now hit 10+ threes in five consecutive games and nine overall this season.
- The Illini assisted 22 times on 30 field goals.
- Illinois has won eight consecutive games at State Farm Center vs. nonconference opponents.
- The Illini have won 36 straight home games vs. unranked nonconference foes since December 2019.
- #20 Illinois is 662-270 (.710) all-time when ranked inside the AP Top 25.
- The program is 362-54 (.870) at home, including a 284-41 (.874) mark at State Farm Center
- Illinois is 3-0 all-time vs. Southern, with all three wins coming under head coach Brad Underwood since 2017.
- Illinois is 19-0 all-time against the current 12-team membership of the SWAC.
- Underwood is 10-0 vs. SWAC programs in his career, including a 7-0 mark while at Illinois.
- Illinois is 2-0 vs. the SWAC this season (W, 113-55 vs. Jackson State on Nov. 3).
