Illinois Rains Threes in 84 to 44 Rout of Northwestern as Illini Extend Big Ten Dominance

Champaign, Illinois -- Illinois delivered a breaking update in Big Ten play Wednesday night, overwhelming Northwestern 84 to 44 behind a season defining shooting display that reinforced its status as a national contender.

The fifth ranked Illini improved to 20 and 3 overall and 11 and 1 in conference action, winning their 12th straight game while producing one of the most lopsided results in the league this season. Northwestern dropped to 10 and 13 overall and 2 and 10 in the Big Ten as its recent struggles continued.

Illinois buried 17 three pointers on 38 attempts, with six different players connecting from long range in a performance that reshaped the latest timeline of the rivalry. Andrej Stojakovic led the way with 17 points, while Keaton Wagler, Zvonimir Ivisic and Ben Humrichous each scored 13. David Mirkovic added 12 points, and Tomislav Ivisic anchored the interior with 12 rebounds.

Wagler continued a breakout season, scoring in double figures for the 15th straight game and the 20th time this year. One night after his 19th birthday, he capped a dominant first half by banking in a three pointer from halfcourt with four seconds remaining, pushing Illinois to a commanding 47 to 19 halftime lead.

Northwestern never recovered. The Wildcats shot 29 percent from the field and made just 4 of 25 attempts from beyond the arc. No Northwestern player reached double figures. Nick Martinelli, the Big Ten’s leading scorer entering the game, was limited to 4 points on 2 of 10 shooting in 27 minutes, a 19 point drop from his season average. Tre Singleton led the Wildcats with 8 points.

Illinois also controlled the physical side of the game, outrebounding Northwestern 50 to 23. The Illini have now won 18 of the 20 games this season in which they have won the rebounding battle, a consistent indicator of performance under head coach Brad Underwood.

The shooting numbers added to a growing body of league wide context. Illinois has made at least 10 three pointers in a conference leading 17 games this season and owns a 15 and 2 record in those contests. Wednesday marked another example of how spacing and depth have defined the Illini outlook.

Historically, the result fit a familiar pattern at State Farm Center. Illinois has now won 10 straight home games against Northwestern dating back to 2015 and is 76 and 14 overall against the Wildcats in Champaign. The Illini also completed a season sweep after a 79 to 68 win in Evanston on January 14, a game that was part of Northwestern’s five game losing streak to open the new year.

What this means for Illinois is continued momentum heading into a pivotal stretch against elite conference competition, with both seeding and national positioning in focus. For Northwestern, the impact centers on offensive consistency and perimeter shooting as the Wildcats look to stabilize their season and improve their postseason outlook.

Next steps come quickly. Northwestern travels to Iowa on Sunday seeking a reset in conference play. Illinois heads to East Lansing on Saturday for a marquee matchup against 10th ranked Michigan State in one of the Big Ten’s most anticipated games of the week.