CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Kylan Boswell and David Mirkovic each recorded double-doubles to lead #17 Illinois to a 113-70 home victory at a sold-out State Farm Center on Friday night.
The Fighting Illini (2-0) had four players score in double figures, led by Boswell, who poured in a career-high 31 points and matched his personal-best with 10 rebounds. Mirkovic, who posted 19 points and 14 rebounds in his debut Monday vs. Jackson State, notched his second straight double-double performance with 17 points and 11 boards.
Keaton Wagler posted a career-high 22 points and seven rebounds after going for 18 points and six rebounds in the opener. Zvonimir Ivisic narrowly missed a double-double of his own, going for 16 points and nine rebounds while adding seven blocks.
The Illini shot 55% from the field as a team and hit 11 3-pointers, led by Boswell's four triples, his most as an Illini. Ivisic knocked down three shots from beyond the arc, including a four-point play in the first half.
Ivisic's seven blocks, tied for the second-most in a single game in Illinois program history, helped hold FGCU to 33% shooting from the field.
The Illini also posted a big rebounding edge, outboarding the Eagles by a 51-30 margin.
After jumping out to a 38-15 advantage, Illinois went on a 9-0 run with 8:12 left in the first half to push the lead to 47-15 and went into halftime with a 59-27 advantage. Illinois took advantage of five offensive rebounds to score nine second-chance points in the first half.
After the break, the Illini widened the lead, 65-31, before going on a 14-0 run, finished off by Andrej Stojakovic's layup, to take a 79-31 lead with 13 minutes to play. The Eagles narrowed the margin late in the game, but the Fighting Illini rolled the rest of the way for the 113-70 win. Illinois got a boost from its bench in the second half, with non-starters accounting for 20 points in the frame.
Illinois now turns its attention to a home matchup Tuesday night vs. #10 Texas Tech. Tipoff between the Fighting Illini and the Red Raiders is set for 7:30 p.m. CT on FS1.
HIGHLIGHTS
PRESS CONFERENCE
POSTGAME NOTES
Player Notes
- Kylan Boswell finished with a team-high 31 points along with 10 rebounds and three assists.
- Posted his second-career double-double after notching a triple-double vs. Chicago State (12/29/24).
- Set a new career-high with 31 points.
- Logged the first 30-point showing and fifth game with 20+ points in his career.
- Recorded his 10th consecutive game in double-figures scoring and the 26th game with 10+ points of his Illini career.
- Hit four 3-pointers, his most as an Illini.
- Zvonimir Ivisic logged 16 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks.
- Started for the first time as an Illini in place of his twin brother, Tomislav Ivisic, who did not play due to injury.
- Posted double-digit points for the first time this season.
- Made his first four shots from the field.
- Crossed the 10-point plateau by completing a 4-point play at the 11:48 mark in the first half.
- Made 3+ 3-pointers for the 10th time in his career and for the first time as an Illini.
- His seven blocks are tied for the second-most in a game in program history.
- His seven blocks are the most by an Illini since Mike Tisdale had seven blocks against Penn State on Jan. 12, 2010.
- Keaton Wagler collected 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
- Secured the first 20-point showing of his career.
- Scored in double figures for the second time this season/in his career.
- Has back-to-back 10+-point outings to start his collegiate career.
- Had 16 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the first half.
- Four of his seven rebounds came on the offensive glass.
- Was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
- Andrej Stojakovic secured nine points, five rebounds, and three assists.
- Made his Illinois debut, checking in at the 15:30 mark in the first half with the Illini leading 16-1.
- David Mirkovic tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, and a block.
- Recorded back-to-back double-doubles to begin his Illini career
- Finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds in season-opening win vs. Jackson State (11/3/25)
- Posted his second double-digit scoring effort of the season/of his career.
- Reached that mark after accounting for the Illini's first six points of the second half.
Team Notes
- Starters: Kylan Boswell, Jake Davis, Zvonimir Ivisic, David Mirkovic, Keaton Wagler.
- Friday's attendance of 15,544 marked the first sellout crowd of the season at State Farm Center.
- Last season the Illini played in front of 12 sellout crowds at State Farm Center and ranked 11th nationally with an average attendance of 15,091.
- Illinois has started 2-0 or better for the eighth straight season under head coach Brad Underwood.
- Illinois has won four straight games at State Farm Center, overall, and three consecutive vs. nonconference opponents dating back to last season.
- Offensively, the Fighting Illini eclipsed the 100-point mark for the 14th time in the Brad Underwood Era.
- Illinois has scored 110+ points in back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 23-26, 2019.
- Illinois scored 113 points in the season-opening win vs. Jackson State (11/3/25)
- The Illini have now posted back-to-back 100-point games three times under Underwood:
- 11/23/19 vs. Hampton (W, 120-71) and 11/26/19 vs. Lindenwood (W, 117-65)
- 12/29/24 vs. Chicago State (W, 117-64) and 1/2/25 at #9 Oregon (W, 109-77)
- The Illini started the game on a 18-1 run, holding the Eagles scoreless for the first 2:36 and without a field goal for the first 6:28.
- Illinois held FGCU to an 0-for-12 start from the field.
- Illinois outrebounded FGCU 51-30 with a 40-17 advantage on the defensive boards..
- Included a 30-19 advantage in the first half and a 25-9 edge on the defensive glass.
- The Illini made 30-34 (88.2%) of their free throws, the highest percentage since Feb. 17, 2024, against Maryland (min. 30 attempts), 32-36 (88.9%).
