CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — The Illinois Fighting Illini men’s basketball delivered a historic performance Thursday night, defeating the Penn Quakers men’s basketball 105-70 to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Illinois set a program record for most points scored in an NCAA Tournament game with 105, surpassing its previous mark of 96. The Illini also scored 65 points in the second half, another program best for a tournament game.
The 35-point margin of victory stands as the second-largest in program history during the tournament.
Freshman standout David Mirkovic led the way with a dominant performance, scoring 29 points and grabbing a program-record 17 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game. He became the first Illini player since 1989 to record at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a tournament contest.
Keaton Wagler added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, while multiple Illini players finished in double figures.
Head coach Brad Underwood improved his NCAA Tournament record at Illinois and has now led the program to tournament wins in five of the last six seasons.
With the win, Illinois improves to 25-8 on the season and advances to the Round of 32.