Illinois Fighting Illini at Minnesota Golden Gophers
· NCAA Men's Basketball
Illinois wins 4th straight, 78-60 over Minnesota
Illinois pulled away in the opening five minutes of the second half with a 12-0 run to build a 47-36 lead. The Illini extended it to 55-41 after nine minutes as Minnesota made just 3 of 13 shots to start the half.
Illinois dominated the paint with a 54-28 edge in points and 50-29 in rebounds. The Illini held Minnesota to 36% shooting, including 3 of 13 from 3-point range. The Gophers were also 15 of 25 at the free-throw line.
Illinois has won five consecutive games in the series — and three straight at Minnesota.
Dain Dainja and Terrence Shannon Jr. each added 11 points for Illinois (13-5, 4-3 Big Ten), which hosts Indiana on Thursday. Freshman Jayden Epps scored 10 points and Mayer, a super senior, recorded his first career double-double.
Mayer made an open 3-pointer from the corner in the closing seconds of the first half to give Illinois a 35-32 lead. Minnesota is now 0-8 this season when trailing at halftime.
Dawson Garcia had 17 points and Ta’lon Cooper scored 16 points for Minnesota (7-9, 1-5), which is back in action on Thursday against No. 3 Purdue.
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Recent Plays
| 2nd 0:00 | End of Game | 78 - 60 |
| 2nd 0:00 | End of 2nd half | 78 - 60 |
| 2nd 0:16 | Ta'lon Cooper made Three Point Jumper. Assisted by Jaden Henley. | 78 - 60 |
| 2nd 0:19 | Jaden Henley Offensive Rebound. | 78 - 57 |
| 2nd 0:21 | Jaden Henley missed Jumper. | 78 - 57 |
Statistics
 ILL |
 MINN |
|
|---|---|---|
| 32-64 | FG | 21-58 |
| 50 | Field Goal % | 36 |
| 5-16 | 3PT | 3-13 |
| 31 | Three Point % | 23 |
| 9-14 | FT | 15-25 |
| 64 | Free Throw % | 60 |
| 50 | Rebounds | 29 |
| 14 | Offensive Rebounds | 8 |
| 36 | Defensive Rebounds | 21 |
| 17 | Assists | 13 |
| 2 | Steals | 5 |
| 7 | Blocks | 2 |
| 11 | Turnovers | 5 |
| 1 | Team Turnovers | 0 |
| 11 | Total Turnovers | 5 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 1 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 6 | Points Off Turnovers | 9 |
| 7 | Fast Break Points | 3 |
| 54 | Points in Paint | 28 |
| 21 | Fouls | 14 |
| 25 | Largest Lead | 3 |
Game Information
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Attendance: 9,874 | Capacity:
2025-26 Big Ten Conference Standings
| TEAM | CONF | GB | OVER |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 19-1 | - | 34-3 |
| Nebraska | 15-5 | 4 | 28-7 |
| Illinois | 15-5 | 4 | 28-8 |
| Michigan State | 15-5 | 4 | 27-8 |
| Wisconsin | 14-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Purdue | 13-7 | 6 | 30-9 |
| UCLA | 13-7 | 6 | 24-12 |
| Ohio State | 12-8 | 7 | 21-13 |
| Iowa | 10-10 | 9 | 24-13 |
| Indiana | 9-11 | 10 | 18-14 |
| Minnesota | 8-12 | 11 | 15-17 |
| USC | 7-13 | 12 | 18-14 |
| Washington | 7-13 | 12 | 16-17 |
| Rutgers | 6-14 | 13 | 14-19 |
| Northwestern | 5-15 | 14 | 15-19 |
| Oregon | 5-15 | 14 | 12-20 |
| Maryland | 4-16 | 15 | 12-21 |
| Penn State | 3-17 | 16 | 12-20 |