Illinois buries Penn 105–70
Illinois blew out Penn 105–70 in an NCAA tournament game — Ante Mirkovic poured in 29 points and 17 rebounds, while Josh Wagler added 18/7/7 in the rout. The final score and the stat line underline how lopsided that matchup finished (x.com) (x.com).
The game was played March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., and Illinois is scheduled to face No. 11–seed VCU in the South Region second round on March 21. (fightingillini.com) Freshman David Mirkovic’s night rewrote Illinois’ NCAA Tournament history when he shattered the program’s single-game tournament rebounding record and eclipsed the Illini freshman tournament scoring mark previously held by Will Riley. (fightingillini.com) Illinois’ offensive outburst established a new program high for points in an NCAA Tournament game, and the team’s 35-point winning margin was the second-largest tournament victory in school history. (fightingillini.com) The Illini shot about 50% from the field, drilled 15 three-pointers and overwhelmed Penn on the boards, out-rebounding the smaller Quakers 48–25. (espn.com) Keaton Wagler, also a freshman, pushed the lead in the second half with multiple long-range makes and finished with a team-high in assists that helped fuel the run. (fightingillini.com) Coach Brad Underwood emptied his bench late; Mirkovic received a standing ovation from Illini fans when he was subbed out with about five minutes remaining. (sports.yahoo.com) Penn’s game was impacted by roster availability and illness issues — the Quakers were without leading scorer Ethan Roberts and saw TJ Power limited after missing practice with illness, according to Penn’s release. (pennathletics.com)
