CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In an impressive display on Tuesday night, Kasparas Jakucionis and Tomislav Ivisic led Illinois to a captivating 83-78 victory over UCLA, effectively ending the Bruins’ seven-game winning streak. Jakucionis poured in 24 points, while Ivisic contributed 16, helping Illinois improve their record to 17-8 overall and 9-6 in the Big Ten Conference.

Kylan Boswell added 11 points, with Will Riley coming off the bench to score 10. The Illini demonstrated their shooting prowess by completing 51% of their field goal attempts, making 27 out of 53 shots.

UCLA’s Tyler Bilodeau was the standout performer for the Bruins, accumulating 25 points in the loss. Kobe Johnson added 14 points, while Sebastian Mack came off the bench to contribute 11. UCLA’s record now stands at 18-7 overall and 9-5 in conference play.

In the final moments of the game, Ben Humrichous sank one of two free throws, pushing Illinois to an 81-78 lead with just seven seconds remaining. Although he missed the second attempt, Ivisic tapped the rebound into the hands of Boswell, who was quickly fouled by the Bruins. Boswell stepped to the line and confidently made both free throws to seal the win for Illinois.

In a crucial sequence late in the game, Jakucionis executed an impressive leap-shot just inside the 3-point line, giving Illinois a 78-73 lead with 38 seconds to play. Skyy Clark responded for UCLA, draining a 3-pointer just ten seconds later to pull within two points, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome. Earlier in the game, Humrichous had also hit a key 3-pointer with 4:51 left that put Illinois ahead 76-60, before the Bruins crafted a late surge with a 13-0 run to close the gap.

This matchup brought UCLA’s all-time series edge to 6-4 as they prepare to face Indiana on Friday. Meanwhile, Illinois is set to host 11th-ranked Michigan State on Saturday in what promises to be another exciting contest.