CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The #8 Fighting Illini rolled past Long Island University, 98-58, on Saturday afternoon at State Farm Center, behind a 20-point effort from Andrej Stojakovic.
Stojakovic posted his second straight - and third overall - game with 20+ points to lead the Illini. The Orange and Blue also received double-digit points from Keaton Wagler (19), David Mirkovic (12), and Kylan Boswell (11).
As a team, the Illini shot a season-best 63.1% (41-65) from the field, while posting a 68-24 scoring edge in the paint against the Sharks. Illinois also forced a season-high 17 LIU turnovers, turning those miscues into a 28-14 scoring advantage.
LIU jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and the Sharks clinged to an 8-7 edge just four minutes into the contest when the Illini clamped down defensively to take control.
The Orange and Blue held LIU without a field goal for the next 5 minutes, and used a 19-2 run to build a 26-10 lead, and never looked back en route to the team's third 40+-point victory of the year.
The Illini scored the final 16 points of the first half to build 54-19 halftime lead, then opened the second period on a 16-4 scoring run to push the advantage as high as 46 points, 70-24, with 14 minutes left in the contest.
The sharks cut into the deficit by 13 to pull within 33 points, 91-58, but the Illini scored the final six of the game before dribbling out the clock just shy of the team's third 100-point scoring effort of the season.
The Illini outrebounded the Sharks, 40-22, the team's sixth straight to open the season with a rebounding advantage, and turned their 13 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points.
Illinois has a quick turnaround before hosting UT Rio Grande Valley on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
Player
- Andrej Stojakovic led the Illini scoring attack with 20 points on an efficient 10-for-15 from the floor, grabbed four rebounds and added an assist
- The third time this season scoring eclipsing the 20-point mark.
- Keaton Wagler poured in 19 points on 70% shooting (7-for-10) with four rebounds and a team-high three assists
- Scored 10+ points for the fifth time in his first six games.
- Zvonimir Ivisic blocked four shots, tied his career high with three steals to go along with eight points and four rebounds.
- The last time he had three steals was on Feb. 8, 2025 against Alabama.
- Kylan Boswell scored 11 points with three assists and two rebounds.
- Has reached double-figures scoring in 14 consecutive games dating back to last season, and in a team-leading 30 games in his career as an Illini.
- David Mirkovic tallied 12 points and brought in a team-high eight rebounds.
- Posted sixth straight game in double-figures scoring.
- Has led the team in rebounding in five of six games this season.
- Seven of his eight rebounds were on the defensive end.
- Tomislav Ivisic added nine points, four rebounds and two assists.
- Returned to the starting lineup for the first time since Game 1.
- Brandon Lee made his college debut, checking in at the 14:17 mark in the first half.
- Scored his first basket for the Illini at 12:21 in the second half.
Team
- Starters: Kylan Boswell, Keaton Wagler, Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, and Tomislav Ivisic
- Illinois has won seven straight games at State Farm Center, overall, including six consecutive vs. nonconference opponents, and 34 straight against unranked nonconference foes since December 2019.
- Illinois held LIU without a field goal for 5 minutes and used a 19-2 run during that span to turn an 8-7 deficit into a 26-10 lead by midway through the period.
- Illinois finished the first half outscoring LIU 47-11, over the final 16 minutes, shooting a blistering 69% in the period, overall.
- Illinois' 24-0 scoring run between the 3:42 mark of the first half and the 17:24 mark of the second half is the team's largest of the season.
- Illinois outrebounded LIU 40-22 with a 27-13 advantage on the defensive glass.
- In the first half this was 21-12 and 14-5 on the defensive boards.
- The Illini's 63.1% field goal percentage today is the fifth-highest field goal percentage during a game in the Brad Underwood era.
- Illinois is averaging 95.8 points per game, and have opened a season with six straight games of 80+ points for the first time since the 1988-89 Flyin' Illini did so in 12 consecutive contests.
