Wagler’s 46-Point Night Lifts No. 11 Illinois Past No. 4 Purdue.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Freshman guard Keaton Wagler delivered a historic performance Saturday, scoring a career-high 46 points to lead No. 11 Illinois to an 88–82 road victory over No. 4 Purdue. Wagler was nearly unstoppable, shooting 13-for-17 from the field, knocking down nine of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc, and converting 11 of 13 free throws. He accounted for 24 of Illinois’ 39 first-half points, including the Illini’s first 14. David Mirkovic contributed 12 points and eight rebounds for Illinois (17–3, 8–1 Big Ten), which connected on 18 of 38 three-point attempts. Purdue (17–3, 7–2) struggled from long range, making just 7 of 19 shots. Braden Smith paced the Boilermakers with 27 points and 12 assists, while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points. Purdue shot 63 percent in the first half, but Illinois stayed close by hitting nine three-pointers before halftime. The game tightened late when Smith drained a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 82–80 with 45 seconds remaining. Wagler responded with a jumper, then sealed the win by making two free throws with 9.3 seconds left after Purdue again closed within two. A turnover on the ensuing possession ended the Boilermakers’ comeback hopes.

Illinois played without reserve center Jason Jakstys due to injury and was also missing guard Kyle Boswell, who is expected to miss at least a month with a fractured right hand.

Illinois will host Washington on Thursday, while Purdue travels to Indiana on Tuesday.