Keaton Wagler had 22 points, four assists and two steals as No. 20 Illinois rolled past Missouri 91-48 Monday night in their annual Braggin’ Rights Game in St. Louis.
Andrej Stojakovic scored 16 points and Tomislav Ivisic 14 added for the Fighting Illini (9-3).
Illinois shot 15-for-33 from 3-point range and converted 51.7% of its shots overall. The Illini grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and scored 29 second-chance points.
Sebastian Mack led the Tigers (10-3) with 17 points off the bench and Anthony Robinson II added 12.
Missouri missed 16 of 22 shots from 3-point range and shot just 28.6% overall.
The Illini featured a balanced attack early, with four players scoring points in the first three minutes of the game.
Robinson kept the Tigers within reach during that stretch by hitting a pair of 3-point shots and drawing a foul on a third attempt from beyond the arc to score Missouri’s first nine points of the game.
Missouri center Shawn Phillips Jr. drew his second personal foul with 11:14 of the first half with the game tied 14-14. With the Tigers at a disadvantage inside, Illinois pushed out to a 27-18 lead
Wagler hit a pair of 3-point jumpers to spark that 13-4 Illini run. Phillips reentered the game and scored two inside baskets to briefly steady the Tigers.
But Wagler kept knocking down shots. He scored 16 first-half points as Illinois pulled away to a 41-25 lead at the break despite getting just 18 minutes combined from starters Kylan Boswell (foul trouble) and Stojakovic (minor injury).
Zvonimir Ivisic came off the bench to grab 11 rebounds and block three shots during a 10-minute span. Overall, the Illini outrebounded the Tigers 21-15 in the first half and built an 18-5 advantage in second-chance points.
Illinois did not cool off at halftime. Tomislav Ivisic hit a pair of 3-point jumpers and David Mirkovic knocked down one as the Illini expanded their lead to 52-28 with another surge.
The Tigers had no answer. They got no closer than 21 points the rest of the way.
–Field Level Media
