Illinois knocks off No.5 Nebraska, earns second top-5 road win in nine days

LINCOLN, Neb — Revenge!

In a crucial conference matchup with potential Big Ten title implications, it was the visiting Illini that came out on top over the gritty Huskers. With the win, Illinois moves into a tie for first place in the Big Ten.

For the first time in program history Illinois has beaten top-5 teams on the road in back-to-back games. The 78-69 Illinois win over Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Sunday afternoon marks Illinois’ 11th straight win. The win streak fittingly started immediately after Nebraska upset Illinois in Champaign in mid-December.

“I think we’ve got some toughness,” said Illinois head coach Brad Underwood after the win. “I think we’ve got some connectivity…I think this team has tremendous problem-solving ability. I think our basketball IQ is pretty high. I think our toughness is growing. I think we’ve got a little of that, but I think we’ve got still some room to improve.”

Flawless ball movement on the offensive end was critical for the Illini given the team’s shots were not falling all night. A stifling Illinois defensive effort in the second half particularly frustrated Nebraska’s stars as well.

Freshman Keaton Wagler continued his unbelievable stretch of basketball for Illinois (19-3, 10-1 Big Ten), looking completely unfazed for 40 minutes. The star guard was able to consistently break down the Nebraska (20-2, 9-2 Big Ten) defense, whether man or zone, en route to a 28 point, five rebound, five assist game.

The first half featured both teams working their way through slow-paced, methodical offensive possessions. That was until Nebraska erupted and went on a 14-2 run over the final 3:08 of the half, giving them a 39-33 lead at the break.

“I think we’re resilient,” Underwood said. “I think we’re holding our poise. I think our purpose has been growing. I think our connectivity has been growing.”

The Huskers, who received four made three-pointers from both Pryce Sandfort and Braden Frager, shot an impressive 11-for-20 from beyond the arc in the opening half. The Ivisic twins, Tomislav and Zvonimir, combined for 17 points and nine rebounds to lead the way for the Illini.

A Wagler-led 14-5 run completely changed the feel of the game early in the second half. Another 10-0 run in the final 10 minutes took the life out of the building. Illinois seemingly had an answer for every shot Nebraska made in the final 15 minutes of the contest.

Wagler came out of the halftime break firing on all cylinders. 23 of his 28 points came in the second half — a half in which Illinois outscored Nebraska 45-30.

“I didn’t think he [Wagler] forced anything,” said Underwood. “He just settled in in the second half. Again, just took what the defense gave him. When he was open, he seemed to make it. When he wasn’t, he got fouled. Any time you get fouled 12 times, it’s a pretty good sign.”

An absurd pass from Tomislav Ivisic.

A beautiful find from Mirkovic leads to a powerful slam from Ivisic.

Illinois and Northwestern meet for a second time in three weeks. This time around, Illinois gets to host the in-state rival Wildcats. It’s an “Orange Out” at the State Farm Center at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.