Deadspin | No. 8 Illinois stifles Indiana for easy win

David Mirkovic poured in 25 factors and grabbed seven rebounds to guide No. 8 Illinois to a 71-51 Large Ten victory over Indiana on Sunday afternoon in Champaign, Unwell.

Keaton Wagler contributed 18 factors and Tomislav Ivisic added 14 because the Illini (21-5, 12-3) snapped a two-game shedding streak by turning 15 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance factors and committing a season-low two turnovers.

Kylan Boswell added 9 factors and 7 rebounds as he returned to the Illinois lineup after lacking seven video games with a fractured proper hand. Andrej Stojakovic sat out his second straight sport with a excessive ankle sprain.

Lamar Wilkerson paced Indiana (17-9, 8-7) with 21 factors, whereas Tucker DeVries posted 13 factors and Sam Alexis added 11. Nevertheless, the Hoosiers scored their fewest factors since Dec. 3, 2022, at Rutgers as they hit 6 of 24 from 3-point vary and misplaced the rebound battle by a 38-25 rely.

Each groups’ key gamers confirmed up instantly. Whereas Wilkerson and DeVries canned their first 3-point makes an attempt for Indiana, Wagler produced seven factors within the first 5 minutes to forge an 11-11 tie.

Then, Mirkovic asserted himself. He cashed a 3-pointer on a pick-and-pop with Wagler on the 11:17 mark to focus on a 10-0 run that gave the Illini a 24-15 lead with 9:46 remaining. After Indiana’s Jasai Miles and Wilkerson answered with 3-pointers, Mirkovic hit back-to-back 3-pointers and fed Ivisic for a layup to revive a 32-23 lead with 5:28 to go.

Mirkovic posted 15 factors within the first half, and Wagler added 11 to offset Wilkerson’s 14 and provides Illinois a 38-31 halftime lead.

Ivisic scored the primary 5 factors of the second half to supply the sport’s first double-digit lead, however Wilkerson responded with 5 of his personal. Then Illinois reeled off 11 factors in a row — highlighted by a Wagler 25-footer and a Mirkovic operating financial institution — to assert a 54-36 lead with 12:33 to play.

Wilkerson was the one Hoosier to attain within the first 10 minutes of the second half as the remainder of the squad went 0-for-6 from the sector with 4 turnovers. Although Alexis lastly broke by with a dunk on the 9:31 mark, Indiana by no means obtained nearer than 12 the remainder of the way in which.

–Area Stage Media