#13 Illinois Pulls Away in Second Half, Extends Winning Streak to Seven With Victory Over Minnesota

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 13 Illinois continued its winning ways with a 77-67 victory over Minnesota, extending its winning streak to seven games after pulling away in the second half. 

Tomislav Ivisic and David Mirkovic were two of the biggest offensive catalysts after the break, combining for 23 points after both being held scoreless through the opening 20 minutes. 

Zvonimir Ivisic finished with a team-high 18 points while going 5-for-8 from the field and 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Coming within a rebound of a double-double, he grabbed four of his nine rebounds on the offensive glass while also tallying three blocks and two steals. 

Keaton Wagler continued his strong start to conference play with 17 points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals. He knocked down a team-most four 3-pointers while dishing out all five assists in the second half. 

David Mirkovic ended the afternoon with 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a block, while Tomislav Ivisic totaled 10 points, seven rebounds, and an assist. 

After the Golden Gophers accounted for the game's first six points, the Illini began an 8-0 run over a 90-second span to grab their first lead of the day.  

Minnesota re-established a six-point edge late in the frame, though Illinois closed the half on an 8-2 run as the sides entered the break knotted at 34. 

Zvonimir Ivisic registered a team-high 13 points in the first half, while the Orange and Blue corralled 13 offensive rebounds across the opening period of play. 

With the Illini holding a one-point advantage midway through the second half, Illinois knocked down 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to fuel a 10-0 run. That three-minute stretch helped the home side take a double-digit lead, 66-55, with 7:54 remaining. 

A 7-0 Minnesota scoring stretch cut the Illini edge to four, but Illinois responded with an 8-0 run of its own, propelling the Orange and Blue to a 12-point edge with three minutes to go.  

Getting stops on the other end of the floor, the Illini closed out the game from the free throw line while improving to 15-3 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play. 

Next up, Illinois closes its two-game homestand against Maryland on Wednesday night. Tipoff between the Illini and the Terrapins at State Farm Center is set for 6 p.m. CT on BTN.

HIGHLIGHTS

PRESS CONFERENCE

POSTGAME NOTES

PLAYER NOTES

• Zvonimir Ivisic scored a season high 18 points, grabbed a team-high nine rebounds, blocked three shots and added two steals.
  • Sixth game of the season with 10+ points, and his first since Dec. 29 vs. Southern.
  • Grabbed multiple steals for the second time this season.
  • Made multiple blocks for the sixth time in the last seven games and for the 11th time overall this season.
• Keaton Wagler totaled 17 points, a team-high five assists, four rebounds and two steals.
  • 14th double-digit scoring game of the season.
  • 10th straight game with 10+ points, averaging 18.4 ppg during that stretch.
  • 10th game of the season with multiple 3-pointers.
    • At least one 3-pointer in 17 of the first 18 games of his collegiate career, the most games with a triple on the team this season.
• David Mirkovic put up 12 points going 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, secured eight rebounds and blocked a shot.
  • 12th game with double-digit points, and his first since Jan. 3 at Penn State.
• Tomislav Ivisic tallied 10 points, grabbed seven boards and added an assist.
  • Seventh game of the season, 21^st career, with multiple 3-pointers
    • 79 3-pointers as an Illini, the most nationally among 7-footers over the last two seasons.
• Kylan Boswell scored nine points, dished out three assists, and brought in three rebounds.
  • At least three assists in 16 of 18 games this season.
• Andrej Stojakovic tallied seven points, dished out three assists, and secured a pair of rebounds.
  • Eclipsed 1,000 points for his collegiate career, joining Kylan Boswell as the second Illini to reach that milestone this season.
• Mihailo Petrovic added four points and secured three rebounds, while keying a late push for the Illini to close out the first half.
  • Scored his first-career points vs. a Big Ten opponent.
  • Pulled down a career-high three rebounds.

TEAM NOTES

• Starters: Kylan Boswell, Tomislav Ivisic, David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, and Keaton Wagler.
  • 12^th game this season with this lineup (10-2)
• Illinois moves to 15-3 overall, the team's best 18-game start since 2011-12.
• The Illini are 6-1 in Big Ten play for the second time in the Underwood era, joining the 2021-22 season that ended with a Big Ten Championship.  
• Illinois has won seven straight games since Dec. 22, the team's longest win streak of the season, and the program's longest March 2024, which included the Big Ten Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
• Illinois improves to 132-68 all-time vs. Minnesota and 77-19 in home games vs. the Golden Gophers.
  • Head coach Brad Underwood has led the Illini to a 10-2 record vs. Minnesota.
  • Underwood and the Illini have won nine straight vs. the Gophers.  
• Illinois is 9-1 in home games at State Farm Center this season and has won three straight home games.
  • Saturday's crowd was the fifth home sellout (15,544) of the season at State Farm Center. The Illini are averaging 14,517 fans per game, 93% capacity.
• The #13 Illini are:
  • 667-270 (.712) all-time when ranked inside the AP Top 25, including a 364-54 (.871) mark at home, 285-41 (.874) at State Farm Center.
  • 40-16 (.714) all-time when facing Minnesota as a ranked team.
• 87th Big Ten win since 2019-20, tied with Purdue for the most in the league over the last seven seasons.
• Illinois outrebounded Minnesota 42-31.
  • Illinois has outrebounded 16 of 18 opponents this season with a 14-2 record in those contests.
  • Pulled down 17 offensive rebounds, a season-most in a Big Ten game, and the most vs. a conference opponent since tallying 18 vs. Michigan last March.
• The Illini knocked down 13 3-pointers and improved to 11-2 in 13 games this season with at least 10 triples.
  • Illinois 13 games with 10+ 3-pointers are the most in the Big Ten this season.
• The Illini outscored the Gophers 22-5 off the bench.