Illinois Dominates Penn 105-70, Advances to Second Round
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GREENVILLE, S.C., Illinois routed Penn 105-70 Thursday in the NCAA Tournament, propelled by freshman David Mirković’s 29 points and 17 rebounds. Keaton Wagler added 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds as the third-seeded Illini turned a 10-point halftime lead into a dominant second half. Illinois shot 41.7% on 3-pointers and scored 60 points after intermission to overwhelm Penn, which attempted only two free throws. Illinois (25-8) advances to face No. 11 VCU on Saturday night. Game statistics, coach and player comments, social-media reactions and official box scores independently corroborated the outcome. Based on 7 articles reviewed and supporting research.
More context
Timeline
- 1. Regular season ends: Illinois (25-8), Penn (18-12).
- 2. Tournament seeding places Illinois as No. 3 and Penn as No. 14 in East Region.
- 3. Thursday first-round game in Greenville: Illinois leads 40-30 at halftime.
- 4. Second half: Illinois scores 60 points; final score 105-70 in favor of Illinois.
- 5. Illinois advances to face No. 11 VCU in the second round on Saturday.
Why it matters
If you're an Illinois fan, this win is a big deal. It shows the team's strength and potential. The standout performance by freshman David Mirković is especially exciting. It's worth checking out Saturday's game against VCU.
Sources
JQJO Editorial Desk · Human reviewed · AI assisted. Report a correction.
