Illinois’ Season Ends on the Final Four with 71-62 Loss to #7 Connecticut

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Illinois males’s basketball crew’s run by way of March Madness ended Saturday on the Final Four. The Illini fell to Connecticut, 71-62, within the nationwide semifinal. 

Illinois (28-9) battled to get inside 4 factors with 1:38 to play in entrance of the Illini-heavy crowd, however couldn’t end the comeback. Keaton Wagler led Illinois with 20 factors and eight rebounds, whereas Tomislav Ivisic added 16 factors and 6 boards. 

A ten-0 second-half run over 4+ minutes put the Illini again within the recreation. Andrej Stojakovic capped the run with 5:02 left with a lay-in that adopted eight straight Illinois free throws to make the rating 57-53 in UConn’s favor. Wagler then acquired Illinois again inside 4 factors on a layup with 1:38 left and once more introduced the sport inside 4 on a three-pointer with 38 seconds left. Connecticut countered with factors on each of its possessions’ following Wagler’s makes and superior to Monday’s nationwide championship recreation. 

Illinois took its first and solely lead with 7:54 remaining within the first half at 22-21 on an Ivisic three-pointer. UConn completed the half on a 16-7 run to take an eight-point lead into the break. 

Connecticut (34-5) had three gamers in double figures, led by Tarris Reed Jr.’s 17 factors and 11 rebounds. Braylon Mullins scored 15 and Solo Ball had 13 factors. 

Illinois superior to the Final Four for the sixth time in program historical past. The crew’s 28 wins had been the fourth-most in program historical past. 

HIGHLIGHTS

PRESS CONFERENCE

POSTGAME NOTES

Player

• Keaton Wagler led the Illini in scoring with 20 factors, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and dished out two assists. 

  • First freshman guard to put up 20+ factors and eight+ rebounds in an NCAA Tournament National Semifinal since Memphis’ Derrick Rose (25 factors and eight rebounds) vs. UCLA on April 5, 2008.
  • Fifth freshman with 20+ factors and eight+ rebounds in a Final Four recreation since 1995, becoming a member of Paolo Banchero (Duke, 2022), Derrick Rose (Memphis, 2008), Greg Oden (Ohio State, 2007), and Carmelo Anthony (2x, Syracuse, 2003).
  • eleventh recreation of the season with 20+ factors, breaking the Illinois freshman document set final season by Kasparas Jakucionis.  
  • twenty ninth consecutive recreation with 10+ factors, and his team-leading thirty fourth double-figure scoring recreation, total.  
  • Averaged 19.1 factors since Dec. 6.  
  • twenty third recreation with a number of 3-pointers, fifth consecutive. 
  • Moved to 3rd on Illinois’ all-time season scoring listing with 663 factors 

    • 1. 736 – Terrence Shannon Jr. (2024) 
    • 2. 668 – Don Freeman (1966) 
    • 3. 663 – Keaton Wagler (2026) 
    • 4. 660 – Andy Kaufmann (1991) 
    • 5. 647 – Nick Anderson (1989) 

  • Tied Illinois freshman single-season document for complete 3-pointers made with 87 becoming a member of Jalen Coleman-Lands who set it 2015-16, and moved into the all-time single-season high 5 at Illinois. 

• Tomislav Ivisic tallied 16 factors, secured seven rebounds, blocked one shot and had a steal.

  • nineteenth recreation of the season with 10+ factors and forty first of his profession.  

    • Sixth double-digit scoring effort in seven profession NCAA Tournament video games.
    • Averaged 14.7 factors in his profession within the NCAA Tournament. 

  • fifteenth recreation of the season with a number of 3-pointers. 

    • 105 3-pointers are essentially the most within the nation amongst 7-footers over the past two seasons. 

• David Mirkovic scored six factors, secured 5 rebounds and blocked a career- and team-high three pictures.  

  • Averaged 13 factors and 9.8 rebounds within the NCAA Tournament.  
  • Extended his Illinois freshman document for complete rebounds to 297 boards.  

    • Broke the mark of 272 set by Kofi Cockburn in 2019-20 vs. Houston in Sweet 16.  

  • Finished No. 3 on the Illini freshman scoring listing with 493 factors. 
  • Recorded a career-high 3 blocks, the primary recreation of his profession with a number of rejections.  

• Andrej Stojakovic added 9 factors, introduced in a team-high eight rebounds and had an help. 

  • Averaged 13.8 factors within the NCAA event.