Illinois Triumphs Over Purdue in Thrilling Showdown
In a thrilling showdown on Saturday, Illinois, ranked No. 11 in the nation, emerged victorious against No. 4 Purdue with a final score of 88-82, thanks to an extraordinary performance by freshman guard Keaton Wagler. Wagler lit up the scoreboard with an impressive 46 points, making nine shots from beyond the arc while registering a field goal percentage of 76.5%, hitting 13 of 17 attempts. He demonstrated excellent versatility at the free-throw line as well, converting 11 out of 13 attempts.
Key Contributions and Team Performance
Supporting Wagler’s remarkable outing, David Mirkovic contributed 12 points and secured eight rebounds for the Illini, who improved their record to 17 wins and 3 losses, with 8 wins against just 1 loss in the Big Ten Conference. On the other side, Braden Smith was the standout player for the Boilermakers, finishing with 27 points and 12 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn added another 12 points for Purdue, who has now suffered back-to-back defeats, bringing their season record to 17-3 and their conference tally to 7-2.
Game Highlights
The game saw Illinois excel in long-range shooting, making 18 of 38 attempts from three-point territory, allowing them to outpace Purdue’s 7 of 19. Despite Purdue shooting a high 63% in the first half, the Illini countered with nine 3-pointers, overcoming their shooting percentage of 43% overall. Wagler played a pivotal role in the first half, scoring 24 points and setting the pace for Illinois by netting the first 14 points of the game.
Clutch Moments
As the game came to a close, Smith’s three-pointer sliced Illinois’ lead to just two points at 82-80 with 45 seconds remaining. However, Wagler quickly retaliated with a jumper to extend the lead. After Smith scored two free throws to bring Purdue closer, Wagler sealed the victory by sinking two additional free throws with just 9.3 seconds left on the clock. A critical turnover by Purdue soon followed, which allowed Illinois to maintain their slender lead.
Injury Updates and Upcoming Matches
The Illini were without reserve center Jason Jakstys due to injury, while Brad Underwood, the Illinois coach, had previously announced that starting guard Kyle Boswell, who averages 14.3 points per game, is sidelined for at least a month due to a fracture in his right hand.
Looking ahead, Illinois will face Washington at home on Thursday, while Purdue heads to Indiana for their next game on Tuesday.
