KANSAS CITY — In an exciting matchup during the Thanksgiving Hoops Showcase, freshman Kasparas Jakucionis made a significant impact by scoring a personal season-high of 23 points, while Tomislav Ivisic contributed with 21 points and 10 rebounds, leading Illinois to a 90-77 victory over the No. 19 ranked Arkansas.
Jakucionis solidified Illinois’s lead by sinking two free throws with just 3:49 left in the game, pushing the advantage into double digits. Following a turnover and a missed jumper from Arkansas, Jakucionis extended the lead further with an open 3-pointer, bringing the score to 85-71 with 2:42 remaining on the clock.
Additionally, Kylan Boswell added 18 points to Illinois’s tally as they improved their record to 6-1. Head coach Brad Underwood marked a milestone by securing his 149th win, surpassing J. Craig Ruby to claim the fifth spot in the program’s history.
For Arkansas, Adou Thiero had an impressive outing, going 12 of 21 from the free-throw line while totaling 26 points, alongside Zvonimir Ivisic, who contributed 13 points, six rebounds, and two blocks.
One note from the game was the sibling showdown between Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, with Tomislav coming out on top. He recorded his double-double with remarkable efficiency, hitting 6 of 9 attempts from beyond the arc and blocking three shots, notching 13 points and seven rebounds in the first half alone.
A crucial part of the game came early when Illinois started strong, jumping out to a 21-6 lead and managed to maintain at least a nine-point margin throughout. With 12:36 left in the first half, Ben Humrichous sank his team’s fifth 3-pointer, while Arkansas struggled, hitting only 3 of 9 shots from the field.
In terms of shooting performance, the Illini had a dominant first half, making 55% of their shots, including an impressive 9 of 16 from 3-point range. Conversely, Arkansas faced challenges from deep, going 0 for 7 in 3-point attempts and finishing the half shooting 44% overall. The game ended with Illinois having converted 15 of 31 shots from long range, while Arkansas managed only 5 of 17.
Moving ahead, Arkansas will face Miami in the next SEC/ACC Challenge on Tuesday, while Illinois will visit Northwestern on December 6 to kick off their Big Ten campaign.