University of Illinois
0-0,0-0Big Ten
UIC (Exh.)
0-0,0-0MVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UIC | 24 | 42 | 66 |
| Illinois | 59 | 42 | 101 |
October 28, 2026 | Men's Basketball
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 3-ranked Fighting Illini closed out exhibition play Wednesday night with a decisive 101-66 victory over the UIC Flames at State Farm Center.
Despite playing without key returners David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, and Zvonimir Ivisic from the 2026 Final Four team, the Illini blew the game open with a pair of extended scoring runs in the first half and never looked back en route to the blowout victory.
Seven players scored in double figures, led by 14 points from Tomislav Ivisic. Freshman Ethan Brown tallied 12 points, five boards and four assists and five other Illini – Jake Davis, Quentin Coleman, Stefan Vaaks, Zavier Zens, and Lucas Morillo posted 10-point games.
Coleman, who was named Tuesday to the Jerry West Award Preseason Watch List, added a game-high seven rebounds and tied Vaaks with a team-leading five assists.
As a team, the Illini outrebounded UIC by a 44-30 margin and outshot the visiting Flames 54.4% to 39.7%. The Orange and Blue connected on 15 3-pointers, while holding UIC to just 18.5% (5-for-27) from beyond the arc.
The Illini notched scoring runs of 13-0 and 16-0 in the first half, building a lead that reached as high as 39. The Orange and Blue led by 35 at the break.
After a UIC bucket immediately out of the break, the Illini once again extended the lead with a 15-2 run that gave the Illini their largest lead of the game, 74-28, following Ivisic's second triple of the day with more than 15 minutes remaining.
UIC used an 11-0 run, starting at the 10:38 mark of the second, to pull back within 82-50, but the Illini held the Flames at bay to close out the 35-point win.
Next up, the Fighting Illini open the highly anticipated 2026-27 regular season on Monday vs. FDU. Tipoff against the Knights is set for 7 p.m. CT (BTN) at State Farm Center.
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