LINCOLN, Neb. (Chambana Today) — Illinois went toe-to-toe with one of the nation’s unbeaten teams Monday night, but No. 23 Nebraska held on in the final moments to edge the No. 13 Illini, 83–80, in a tightly contested Big Ten battle.
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler delivered a breakout performance for Illinois, recording the first double-double of his career with 19 points and a career-high 10 assists while playing all 40 minutes. Wagler knocked down four 3-pointers, tying his career high, and continued his recent surge with his third straight double-digit scoring effort.
Illinois (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten) had multiple standout performances in the loss. Junior Andrej Stojakovic added his first double-double as an Illini, finishing with 19 points and a career-high tying 10 rebounds. Senior Kylan Boswell led the team in scoring with 20 points, marking his fifth 20-point game of the season and his ninth double-figure outing in 11 games.
The Illini traded blows with Nebraska (11-0, 2-0) throughout the night, answering Husker runs with timely shooting and strong rebounding. Wagler’s playmaking kept Illinois within striking distance down the stretch, as his assists set up key baskets during a late rally.
Despite the balanced scoring attack, Illinois couldn’t overcome Nebraska’s late-game execution.