Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Houston Cougars

Mar 26, 2026

FINAL

Box Score

	1	2	T
ILL	24	41	65
HOU	22	33	55

Game Recap

Illinois clamps down on Houston for a 65-55 March Madness win to reach Elite Eight. David Mirkovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and third-seeded Illinois flexed its defensive muscles to eliminate last year's national runner-up from the NCAA Tournament, beating Houston 65-55 in...

Player Stats

ILLINOIS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
0David Mirkovic	34	6-13	2-6	0-2	10	2	0	1	3	2	14
15Jake Davis	13	2-3	1-2	0-0	4	0	0	0	0	2	5
13Tomislav Ivisic	29	3-5	1-3	2-2	3	3	0	0	1	1	9
23Keaton Wagler	38	4-14	3-6	2-5	12	3	1	2	1	1	13
4Kylan Boswell	30	0-5	0-1	6-10	4	2	0	0	1	3	6
3Ben Humrichous	16	1-1	1-1	0-0	1	0	0	0	0	2	3
44Zvonimir Ivisic	12	1-2	0-1	0-0	3	1	0	0	0	0	2
2Andrej Stojakovic	28	5-8	1-3	2-2	0	2	1	0	2	3	13
TOTAL	-	22-5143.1%	9-2339.1%	12-2157.1%	37	13	2	3	8	14	65

HOUSTON	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
5Chris Cenac Jr.	27	3-12	0-3	0-0	10	1	1	1	0	2	6
11Joseph Tugler	25	3-4	0-0	0-0	4	5	0	1	2	4	6
4Kingston Flemings	37	4-10	1-3	2-2	6	4	0	0	0	4	11
7Milos Uzan	37	2-11	2-6	0-0	2	5	1	0	0	2	6
21Emanuel Sharp	39	7-16	3-10	0-0	2	1	1	0	0	4	17
14Kalifa Sakho	8	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0
24Chase McCarty	20	3-7	3-7	0-0	1	1	1	0	1	2	9
25Mercy Miller	7	0-4	0-3	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
TOTAL	-	22-6434.4%	9-3228.1%	2-2100%	25	17	4	2	4	21	55

Play-by-Play

Scores OnlyExpand All

1st halfILLHOU

(20:00) Start game.
(19:59) Jump Ball won by Houston.
(19:59) Jump Ball lost by Illinois.
(19:47) Chris Cenac Jr. misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(19:44) Keaton Wagler Defensive Rebound.
(19:24) Kylan Boswell misses layup.
(19:20) Tomislav Ivisic Offensive Rebound.
+2 (19:20) Tomislav Ivisic makes 0-foot tip in layup.
20
(19:03) Chris Cenac Jr. misses 13-foot jumper.
(19:02) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
(19:01) Foul on Joseph Tugler.
(18:38) Keaton Wagler misses driving layup.
(18:35) Chris Cenac Jr. Defensive Rebound.
(18:29) Kingston Flemings misses 14-foot jumper.
(18:27) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
(17:59) Keaton Wagler misses 15-foot jumper.
(17:59) Illinois Offensive Rebound.
(17:59) team shot clock turnover .
(17:43) Milos Uzan misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(17:42) Kylan Boswell Defensive Rebound.
(17:15) Keaton Wagler misses layup.
(17:14) David Mirkovic Offensive Rebound.
(17:13) David Mirkovic misses layup.
(17:13) Chris Cenac Jr. Block.
(17:13) Chris Cenac Jr. Defensive Rebound.
(17:05) Kingston Flemings misses driving layup.
(17:03) Keaton Wagler Defensive Rebound.
(16:58) Kylan Boswell misses layup.
(16:58) Joseph Tugler Block.
(16:58) Milos Uzan Defensive Rebound.
(16:40) Chris Cenac Jr. misses 17-foot jumper.
(16:37) Tomislav Ivisic Defensive Rebound.
(16:22) David Mirkovic misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(16:19) Jake Davis Offensive Rebound.
(16:15) Tomislav Ivisic misses 22-foot three point jumper.
(16:13) Illinois Offensive Rebound.
(16:06) David Mirkovic misses 10-foot jumper.
(16:02) Kingston Flemings Defensive Rebound.
(16:00) Emanuel Sharp misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(15:54) Keaton Wagler Defensive Rebound.
(15:31) Foul on Kalifa Sakho.
+1 (15:31) Keaton Wagler makes free throw 1 of 2.
30
(15:31) Keaton Wagler misses free throw 2 of 2.
(15:29) Kingston Flemings Defensive Rebound.
+3 (15:12) Emanuel Sharp makes 24-foot three point jumper (Milos Uzan assists).
33
+2 (14:46) Andrej Stojakovic makes driving layup.
53
+2 (14:27) Kingston Flemings makes 17-foot jumper.
55
(14:12) Foul on Chase McCarty.
(14:03) Andrej Stojakovic bad pass turnover.
(14:03) Chase McCarty Steal.
(13:56) Milos Uzan misses 22-foot three point jumper.
(13:53) Joseph Tugler Offensive Rebound.
+3 (13:51) Milos Uzan makes 23-foot three point jumper (Joseph Tugler assists).
58
+2 (13:23) Andrej Stojakovic makes 7-foot floating jump shot.
78
(12:51) Milos Uzan misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(12:51) Keaton Wagler Block.
(12:50) Houston Offensive Rebound.
(12:50) team shot clock turnover .
+2 (12:40) Tomislav Ivisic makes 7-foot hook shot.
98
(12:10) Chris Cenac Jr. misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(12:06) Kingston Flemings Offensive Rebound.
(11:51) Emanuel Sharp misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(11:47) Keaton Wagler Defensive Rebound.
(11:24) Kylan Boswell misses 14-foot jumper.
(11:22) Chris Cenac Jr. Defensive Rebound.
(10:56) Foul on Ben Humrichous.
+2 (10:41) Chris Cenac Jr. makes 16-foot jumper (Emanuel Sharp assists).
910
+3 (10:23) David Mirkovic makes 24-foot three point jumper (Tomislav Ivisic assists).
1210
(9:59) Chris Cenac Jr. misses 13-foot jumper.
(9:55) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
+2 (9:34) David Mirkovic makes layup (Tomislav Ivisic assists).
1410
+2 (9:07) Joseph Tugler makes 4-foot hook shot.
1412
(8:43) Andrej Stojakovic misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(8:41) Jake Davis Offensive Rebound.
(8:41) Foul on Kingston Flemings.
(8:34) Tomislav Ivisic bad pass turnover.
(8:34) Emanuel Sharp Steal.
(8:26) Chris Cenac Jr. misses 16-foot jumper.
(8:23) Kylan Boswell Defensive Rebound.
(8:15) David Mirkovic bad pass turnover.
(8:15) Chris Cenac Jr. Steal.
+2 (7:56) Joseph Tugler makes 10-foot hook shot (Milos Uzan assists).
1414
(7:37) Tomislav Ivisic misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(7:33) Emanuel Sharp Defensive Rebound.
(7:28) Mercy Miller misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(7:26) Foul on Jake Davis.
(7:25) Chris Cenac Jr. Offensive Rebound.
(7:15) Emanuel Sharp misses 8-foot hook shot.
(7:15) Zvonimir Ivisic Defensive Rebound.
(7:04) Keaton Wagler misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(7:04) Foul on Emanuel Sharp.
(7:03) Illinois Offensive Rebound.
(6:56) Keaton Wagler misses layup.
(6:53) Joseph Tugler Defensive Rebound.
(6:38) Mercy Miller misses 13-foot jumper.
(6:35) Zvonimir Ivisic Defensive Rebound.
+2 (6:25) Zvonimir Ivisic makes 3-foot dunk (David Mirkovic assists).
1614
(5:59) Joseph Tugler misses 10-foot hook shot.
(5:55) Joseph Tugler Offensive Rebound.
(5:53) Chase McCarty misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(5:50) Keaton Wagler Defensive Rebound.
(5:28) Foul on Mercy Miller.
+2 (5:09) Andrej Stojakovic makes 18-foot turnaround jump shot.
1814
(4:46) Mercy Miller misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(4:42) Zvonimir Ivisic Defensive Rebound.
+3 (4:23) Andrej Stojakovic makes 23-foot three point jumper (Zvonimir Ivisic assists).
2114
(4:09) Chase McCarty misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(4:05) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
(3:55) David Mirkovic bad pass turnover.
+2 (3:44) Kingston Flemings makes driving layup.
2116
+3 (3:23) Keaton Wagler makes 27-foot three point jumper (Kylan Boswell assists).
2416
(3:01) Kingston Flemings misses 26-foot three point jumper.
(2:57) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
(2:37) Andrej Stojakovic misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(2:36) Houston Defensive Rebound.
(2:10) Milos Uzan misses 15-foot jumper.
(2:08) Chris Cenac Jr. Offensive Rebound.
+3 (2:06) Emanuel Sharp makes 24-foot three point jumper (Chris Cenac Jr. assists).
2419
(1:49) David Mirkovic misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(1:45) Chris Cenac Jr. Defensive Rebound.
(1:45) Foul on Kylan Boswell.
(1:24) Chris Cenac Jr. misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(1:20) Kylan Boswell Defensive Rebound.
(1:09) Kylan Boswell misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(1:07) Houston Defensive Rebound.
(0:53) Kingston Flemings misses 12-foot jumper.
(0:53) Foul on Kalifa Sakho.
(0:53) Houston Offensive Rebound.
(0:53) David Mirkovic misses free throw 1 of 1.
(0:51) Chris Cenac Jr. Defensive Rebound.
(0:42) Kalifa Sakho bad pass turnover.
(0:42) Andrej Stojakovic Steal.
(0:22) Keaton Wagler misses driving layup.
(0:19) Chris Cenac Jr. Defensive Rebound.
(0:08) Foul on Kylan Boswell.
(0:06) Foul on Ben Humrichous.
(0:04) Foul on Andrej Stojakovic.
+3 (0:01) Kingston Flemings makes 24-foot three point jumper (Milos Uzan assists).
2422

2nd half

Team Stats

ILL

HOU

65Points55

22-51(43.1%)Field Goal(%)22-64(34.4%)

9-23(39.1%)3-Point(%)9-32(28.1%)

12-21(57.1%)Free Throw(%)2-2(100.0%)

43(12)Rebounds(Offensive)34(11)

13Assists17

2Steals4

3Blocks2

9Turnovers5

14(0)Fouls(Technical)21(0)

18Largest Lead3

Game Details

Thursday, March 26, 2026 · 10:05 PM

Toyota Center · Houston, TX

attendance: 17,307 (94.6%)

tv: TBS

spread: HOU -2.5

over/under: 141.5