Illinois beats Maryland to finish 24-7, earns double-bye to Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals

Illinois defeated Maryland to finish the regular season 24-7 and earn a quarterfinal berth in the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center.


COLLEGE PARK, MD -Illinois closed the regular season Sunday with another step in what has become one of the most successful stretches in recent program history.

Photo: Courtney Bay/Illinois Athletics

Maryland's Collin Metcalf contests a shot by Illinois' David Mirkovic. Mirkovic led the Illini with 22 points and 11 rebounds in the conference road win on Sunday. He became the 10th Illinois freshman in program history to score over 400 points in their first season.
Behind a double-double from David Mirkovic and a strong second half from Keaton Wagler, Illinois defeated Maryland to finish the regular season 24-7 overall and 15-5 in the Big Ten. The victory secures the Illini a triple bye into Friday’s quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago.

Mentally, Brad Underwood says the team is prepared for what comes next.

"You have a 20-game gauntlet in this league. We had some tough losses. We are 15-5 and we'll see where that puts us," he said. "We did a lot of good things. We won a lot of big games."

The 24 regular-season wins are the program’s most in two decades, since the 2006 team finished the regular season with 25 victories. Illinois’ 15 conference wins also tie for the second-most in school history.

Underwood has now led the Illini to three of the program’s five seasons with at least 15 Big Ten wins, including a 15-5 league mark in 2022 and a 16-win season in 2021. Underwood owns the top three — and five of the top nine — winningest Big Ten seasons in Illinois history.

Despite a flat start, Underwood said he was proud of the way the team performed on the road.

"We started slow in terms of the enthusiasium," he recounted. "Our energy level was quite what it need to be. We just hung in there and kept delivering body blows."

Illinois also matched another program mark with its eighth conference road win of the season, tying the record set in the 2020-21 campaign. Over the past seven seasons, the Illini have compiled 42 Big Ten road victories, the most in the conference during that span.

Mirkovic powered the Illini on Sunday with 22 points and 11 rebounds while adding three assists and a steal. The freshman recorded his team-leading seventh double-double of the season and his second 20-point performance, following his 27-point, 21-rebound effort against Colgate on Nov. 14.

Mirkovic also continued a productive scoring stretch, reaching double figures for the 24th time this season and for the third straight game. His performance pushed him past 400 points on the year, making him the 10th freshman in Illinois history to reach that milestone. With 409 points, he now ranks 10th on the program’s freshman scoring list. Mirkovic led the Illini in scoring for the fourth time this season and paced the team in rebounds for the 14th time.

"We won the battle in the paint 42-20," Underwood said. "We figured that coming in. It was the game plan."

Wagler added 11 points, all in the second half, along with three rebounds, three assists, one block and a career-high three steals. The freshman guard recorded his team-leading 28th double-digit scoring performance and extended his streak to 23 consecutive games with at least 10 points.

Wagler closed the regular season with 554 total points, extending his Illinois freshman scoring record. His season average of 17.9 points per game sits two points above the previous freshman record of 15.9 set by Kiwane Garris during the 1993-94 season. Wagler also finished the regular season with 155 made free throws, the most by a freshman in program history.

Kylan Boswell contributed 11 points and tied for the team lead with three assists. It marked his 40th career double-figure scoring game at Illinois, the most among active players, and his 16th of the season.


TAGS: Illinois vs Maryland basketball recap, Illinois Fighting Illini Big Ten Tournament preview, David Mirkovic Illinois double-double Maryland, Illinois basketball regular season record 2026, Brad Underwood Illinois Big Ten wins history
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Nazareth Academy rolls past Belleville East 54-36 in state semifinal

Belleville East Lancers lose opener at state
The Roadrunners dominated the paint, outscoring the Lancers 38-20 in Friday's Class 4A semifinal at the IHSA Girls Basketball State Finals.


Stella Sakalas takes a shot for Nazareth Academy at state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

NORMAL - Nazareth Academy's Stella Sakalas fires a shot during first-quarter action of the Roadrunners' semifinal game against Belleville East. Sakalas led all scorers with 30 points, five rebounds, and six steals to advance her team into Saturday's championship game against Loyola Academy.

BELOW: Sakalas tries to hold the ball after quick scramble to keep it away from Belleville East's Vanessa Stacy. Nazareth Academy took an early lead and maintained their momentum to beat Belleville East, 54-36. The Lancers would regroup quickly after the loss with the third-place game hours later to beat Rolling Meadows, 43-30.

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks


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IHSA Class 4A state basketball results, Nazareth Academy basketball player Stella Salakas, Belleville East's Denaya Bartelheim and Vanessa Stacy foundation for success for Lancers, IHSA Class 4A girls basketball playoff coverage, girls' high school state basketball

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Brayden Henry lifts Rockets past Teutopolis 59-58

Unity Athletics
Unity overcame early-season losses to Teutopolis, winning the sectional final 59-58 on a buzzer-beater. Unity moves one step from a state tournament berth, facing Kankakee McNamara on Monday.

Photo: Lori Garrret for the Sentinel

Brayden Henry holds up the net while celebrating with teamates and fans after the Rockets' epic victory over Teutopolis on Friday.


MONTICELLO - Unity had already seen Teutopolis twice this season, and both times the Wooden Shoes walked away with the win. Friday night in the Monticello Class 2A sectional championship, the Rockets finally got their revenge and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Brayden Henry drove to the basket and delivered a layup at the buzzer, lifting Unity to a dramatic 59-58 victory and sending the Rockets to the Pontiac Supersectional.

The win sends Unity (32-2) one step from the state tournament, marking the program’s deepest postseason run since 2002. The Rockets will face Kankakee McNamara on Monday in Pontiac with a trip to the IHSA state finals on the line.

Friday’s matchup carried the intensity of a rivalry built over the course of the season. Teutopolis had claimed the first two meetings, defeating Unity 56-50 in the season opener and edging the Rockets again 37-36 on Dec. 31. With a sectional title at stake in the third meeting, the Rockets delivered when it mattered most.

Unity started quickly, building a 16-11 lead in the opening quarter behind seven combined points from the Henry twins and four points from senior Tre Hoggard. Teutopolis rallied in the second quarter and carried a 25-23 lead into halftime.

The Rockets reclaimed the momentum in the third quarter and opened the fourth with a 41-36 advantage, setting the stage for a tense finish.

Teutopolis mounted a late charge behind Isaac McWhorter, who finished with a game-high 23 points. McWhorter sparked the Wooden Shoes in the fourth quarter with three 3-pointers and two field goals, while also converting both of his free-throw attempts. Gavin Addis added 13 points, including two field goals and a perfect 3-for-3 performance from the free-throw line in the final quarter. Layndyn Thoele contributed nine points, all in the first half.

Unity answered with balanced scoring. Henry led the Rockets with 20 points, scoring in every quarter before delivering the game-winning basket. Dane Eisenmenger and Tyler Henry each finished with 10 points, while Mason O’Neill added two free throws. Eisenmenger was perfect from the line at 3-for-3, and O’Neill went 2-for-2.

The victory extends Unity’s winning streak to 23 games and moves the Rockets within one win of the state tournament.

Kankakee McNamara (25-5) awaits Monday in the Pontiac Supersectional after defeating Yorkville Christian 69-56 in overtime at the Seneca Sectional. The Fightin’ Irish enter the matchup averaging 61 points per game while allowing opponents about 45 points per contest.

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TAGS: Unity Rockets Teutopolis Class 2A sectional recap, Brayden Henry buzzer-beater Unity vs Teutopolis, Monticello Class 2A basketball sectional results, Unity Rockets supersectional 2026 preview, IHSA Class 2A boys basketball playoff coverage

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