MILAUKEE, WI (Chambana Today) – Illinois basketball’s season came to a frustrating end on Sunday, as the No. 6 seed Illini were defeated by No. 3 Kentucky in the Round of 32 at the Fiserv Forum. Despite battling back in the first half, the Illini were unable to overcome a fast-starting Kentucky squad, ultimately falling 84-75.
The Illini started slowly, trailing by 12 points midway through the first half, but managed to close the gap and head into halftime down 37-32. However, the Wildcats came out strong in the second half, pushing their lead to as much as 16 points with just under 10 minutes remaining. Illinois mounted a late rally, cutting the deficit to just six points with 1:36 left. But Kentucky forward Andrew Carr’s crucial layup silenced any momentum the Illini had, sealing the victory for the Wildcats.
Illinois freshman guard Kasparas Jackucionis struggled with his shooting, going 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. He finished with 13 points, five rebounds, and two assists. Junior guard Kylan Boswell led the Illini in scoring with 23 points.
The Illini’s season ends with a 22-13 record, a tough finish after a disappointing 88-65 loss to Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals just days earlier.