DETROIT — In a decisive victory, Tre White shone brightly with 19 points and 11 rebounds, as Illinois crushed No. 15 Michigan with a final score of 93-73 on Sunday. Joining White in double figures, Kylan Boswell and Kasparas Jakucionis each contributed 17 points for the Illini (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten), who have managed to defeat Michigan (22-7, 14-4) for the ninth consecutive time.
Despite difficulties with their shooting accuracy, the Illini capitalized on 19 offensive rebounds to rack up 30 second-chance points. For the Wolverines, Vladislav Golden stood out, scoring 22 points on impressive 11-of-15 shooting; however, the team’s other four starters combined for only 28 points on 11-of-29 shooting. This loss marked Michigan’s second in their last four games.
Illinois registered only 31 points in the first half but matched this in the second half when Jake Davis hit a key 3-pointer with 9:51 remaining, propelling the Illini to a 62-50 lead. This momentum continued as a three-pointer by Jakucionis expanded their advantage to 17 points with 8:41 left on the clock. Another long-range shot from Jakucionis made it 75-55 with 6:20 to go, and the Wolverines couldn’t recover.
In terms of key takeaways, Illinois’ center Tomislav Ivisic quickly got into foul trouble, earning his first foul just 34 seconds into play, which limited his defensive efforts against Michigan’s formidable 7-footers, Golden and Danny Wolf. Ivisic ended the game with seven points, three rebounds, and four fouls over 18 minutes. For Michigan, it’s been a tough stretch, as their last victory over Illinois dates back to January 10, 2019, in a game finished at 79-69 in Champaign.
The pivotal moment came when the game was tied at 41 points at 16:05 left in the game. It was then that Illinois initiated an 8-0 run over the next three minutes, securing a gap that Michigan couldn’t close. Statistically, Illinois managed to lead 31-30 at the half, despite shooting just 32.4% (12-for-37) from the field. They excelled in the paint, sinking 8-for-11 attempts, but notably struggled outside, making only 4 of their 26 attempts beyond the lane. Nonetheless, their 10 offensive rebounds translated into 10 valuable second-chance points.
Looking forward, Michigan is set to host Maryland on Wednesday, while Illinois will have time to prepare for their next clash against Purdue in Champaign on Friday.
