Illinois Defeats Xavier 86-73 to Advance in NCAA Tournament

Led by standout performances from Will Riley, Kasparas Jakucionis, and Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois secures a second-round matchup against Kentucky.

Freshman Will Riley scored 22 points, including 18 in the second half, to lead Illinois to victory.
Kasparas Jakucionis narrowly missed a triple-double, contributing 16 points, 10 assists, and 9 rebounds.
Tomislav Ivisic added 20 points and 10 rebounds, hitting four three-pointers, the most by a 7-footer in NCAA Tournament history.
Illinois excelled in key areas, going 18-for-18 from the free-throw line and outrebounding Xavier 45-25.
Xavier's leading scorer, Zach Freemantle, struggled against Illinois' size, scoring only 5 points on 2-of-9 shooting.