Overview
- Freshman Keaton Wagler scored 22 points with 20 after halftime, shaking off pregame back spasms to drive Illinois’ offense.
- Tomislav Ivišić finished with 21 points and hit two late 3-pointers, tallying 11 in the final 7:12 to steady the Illini.
- Kylan Boswell added 13 points, six assists and key defense that helped limit Nick Martinelli to 20 points on 5-of-12 shooting.
- David Mirković played 30 minutes after receiving an IV for the flu, contributing six points and five rebounds.
- Illinois improved to 14-3 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten for a sixth consecutive win and fourth league road victory, while Northwestern fell to 8-9 and 0-6 as Jayden Reid scored 28 off the bench.