Zvonimir Ivisic came off the bench and made a major impact, pouring in 18 points and grabbing nine rebounds to help No. 13 Illinois power past Minnesota, 77-67, on Saturday. It was the kind of performance that reminded everyone just how deep this Illini team really is.
Keaton Wagler continued his scorching stretch, adding 17 points in another consistent outing. That’s now 10 straight games in double figures for the sophomore, and he’s hit at least 16 in nine of those. He's not just producing-he’s doing it with poise and rhythm, becoming a reliable scoring engine for a team that’s quietly building momentum in the Big Ten.
Illinois, now 15-3 overall and 6-1 in conference play, has won seven straight and is off to its best 18-game start since the 2011-12 season. The Illini are clicking, and Saturday’s win was another example of how they’re finding ways to win even when things aren’t perfect.
Case in point: the first half. Illinois shot just 34% from the field and went into the break knotted at 34.
But they flipped the switch in the second half, especially during a pivotal stretch midway through. Trailing 56-55, the Illini strung together a 10-0 run that completely changed the tone of the game.
From that point on, they never trailed again.
David Mirkovic chipped in with 12 points-all in the second half-while Tomislav Ivisic added 10. And while Andrej Stojakovic only scored seven, it was a milestone night for him: he reached 1,000 career points, a total built across stops at Stanford and Cal before joining Illinois this season. A quiet night on the scoreboard, but a meaningful one in the bigger picture.
On the other side, Minnesota came out swinging. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored the Gophers’ first 11 points, including back-to-back threes that forced Illinois head coach Brad Underwood to burn a timeout just 72 seconds into the game. Crocker-Johnson finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, doing everything he could to keep Minnesota in it.
Cade Tyson added 15 points and eight boards for the Gophers, but his night ended early after fouling out with 52 seconds left. Langston Reynolds contributed 11 points, but Minnesota couldn’t sustain the same energy they had early on. After a five-game win streak, they’ve now dropped three straight and sit at 10-8 overall, 3-4 in the Big Ten.
Saturday’s game also marked a milestone in the long-running rivalry between these two programs. It was the 200th meeting between Illinois and Minnesota, and the Illini now hold a commanding 132-68 edge in the all-time series. They’ve also won nine straight against the Gophers, a streak that dates back to 2019.
Next up, Illinois will look to keep the momentum going when they host Maryland on Wednesday. If this team continues to get balanced scoring and timely defense like they did in the second half, they’re going to be a tough out in the Big Ten-and beyond.