At Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, the ninth-ranked Fighting Illini secured their eleventh consecutive victory on Sunday, overcoming the fifth-ranked Cornhuskers with a final score of 78-69. This significant contest marked the first occasion Nebraska had hosted a game between two top-ten ranked programs, and Keaton Wagler was a standout performer, contributing 28 points for Illinois.
With an overall record now standing at 19-3 and 10-1 in Big Ten play, the Fighting Illini had maintained an undefeated record since their 83-80 home defeat by Nebraska on December 13th. During the initial 13 minutes of the second half, the Illini’s defense notably restricted the Huskers to just four successful field goal attempts.
This victory positioned Illinois as only the sixth team in the history of the AP poll to achieve back-to-back road wins against top-five ranked adversaries within a single season, having previously defeated the then-fourth-ranked Purdue on January 24th.
Wagler maintained his exceptional scoring performance, etching his name in AP poll history as the inaugural player to accumulate at least 25 points in more than one away game triumph against top-five opponents within a single campaign, following his remarkable 46-point display against Purdue.
The Cornhuskers, now holding a 20-2 overall record and 9-2 in conference play, suffered their second consecutive defeat. Their prior loss occurred on Tuesday in an away game against another highly-ranked foe, third-ranked Michigan, which brought an end to their impressive 24-game winning streak that had extended from the previous season.
For the Illinois squad, Jake Davis concluded the contest with 13 points, while Tomislav Ivisic contributed 12 points and David Mirkovic chipped in 10 points.
Braden Frager rejoined the Nebraska lineup after being sidelined for the preceding two matchups due to an ankle ailment, making an immediate impact with 20 points. Other notable contributions for Nebraska came from Pryce Sandfort, who added 14 points, Sam Hoiberg with 13, and Jamarques Lawrence who chipped in 10.
Prior to halftime, Nebraska had connected on 11 out of 20 attempts from beyond the arc, giving them a 39-33 lead at intermission. However, in the second half, a more rigorous defensive effort from Illinois restricted the Huskers to just four successful three-point shots.
The Illini commenced the second half by outscoring Nebraska by a margin of 18-8. With 13:05 remaining in the game, a three-point shot by Wagler propelled Illinois into a 49-47 lead, a lead they would maintain for the rest of the match. Wagler then punctuated a 10-0 scoring spree with another successful three-pointer at the 6:45 mark, extending Illinois’ advantage to 63-52.
For the remainder of the contest, the Cornhuskers consistently found themselves trailing by a minimum of seven points.
Despite Illinois connecting on nine three-pointers compared to Nebraska’s fifteen, the Illini demonstrated superior performance from the free throw line, converting 21 attempts to the Huskers’ 4. Furthermore, Illinois held a decisive 10-point lead in points scored in the paint and registered a significant 40-27 advantage in total rebounds.
This report incorporated data and findings from both ESPN Research and The Associated Press.
