
No. 16 Illinois builds big early lead, then holds off No. 19 Iowa, 75-69
The Illini (13-3, 4-1) won their fifth consecutive game, their third on the road in Big Ten play, and stayed tied for third place in the conference.

The Illini (13-3, 4-1) won their fifth consecutive game, their third on the road in Big Ten play, and stayed tied for third place in the conference.

The largest previous margin of victory in the series, which has been played 45 times since 1980, was Illinois’ 82-50 blowout in 2005, when it was coming off a Final Four run.

CHAMPAIGN — Jamarques Lawrence hit a 3-point shot with less than a second remaining Saturday to give No. 23 Nebraska an 83-80 win over No. 13 Illinois. The undefeated Huskers (11-0, 2-0 Big Ten) are off to the best start in program history. They won 10 in a row to start the 1977-78 season. Tomislav

Illinois snapped a five-game skid on neutral courts against ranked opponents and also gave coach Brad Underwood his first win in three tries against Tennessee.

David Mirkovic had 12 points and eight rebounds for the 5-1 Illini, who bounced back nicely after losing to No. 11 Alabama in Chicago on Wednesday night.

Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman from Montenegro, became the first Illinois player to have 20 points and 20 rebounds in a game since Nick Weatherspoon in 1972.

Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro, is one of four new international players on the Illinois roster this season.

Koby Brea matched a career high with 23 points and Kentucky beat Illinois 84-75 on Sunday to advance beyond the NCAA Tournament’s opening weekend for the first time since they reached the Elite Eight in 2019.

Illinois will seek to advance beyond the first weekend of March Madness for a second straight year.

INDIANAPOLIS — Rodney Rice scored 26 points, Derik Queen had 19 points and 10 rebounds and No. 11 Maryland routed No. 24 Illinois 88-65 on Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. The Terrapins (25-7) will face the winner of the late quarterfinal between Michigan and Purdue in the semifinals. Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 12

Will Riley led five Illinois players in double figures with 22 points. Tre White had 20 points and nine rebounds.

Tre White had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead Illinois to a 93-73 rout of No. 15 Michigan 93-73.

Jaxson Kohler had 23 points and 10 rebounds, Tre Holloman scored 14 points and No. 11 Michigan State rallied to beat Illinois 79-65 and giving the Spartans’ Tom Izzo the most conference wins in Big Ten history.

Kasparas Jakucionis scored 24 points and Illinois held off UCLA for an 83-78 win over UCLA to end the Bruins’ seven-game win streak.

Illinois coach Brad Underwood decided to go young this season in replacing the experienced team he took to the Elite Eight last season after winning the Big Ten Tournament title.