Illinois stuns Houston
Illinois upset No. 2 Houston 65-55 to punch its ticket to the Elite 8, a defensive performance that flipped the bracket and knocked off a top seed. The win is being celebrated as one of the day’s biggest surprises in the Sweet 16 swirl. (x.com) (x.com)
The game was played March 26, 2026, at the Toyota Center in Houston. Freshman David Mirkovic led Illinois with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Keaton Wagler added 13 points and 12 rebounds; reserve Andrej Stojakovic contributed 13 points off the bench. Illinois held Houston to 22-of-64 shooting (34.4%) and 9-of-32 from three-point range, outrebounded the Cougars 43-34 and limited them to only two free-throw attempts for a wide line differential. Houston’s Emanuel Sharp paced the Cougars with 17 points, Kingston Flemings finished with 11, and Chris Cenac grabbed 10 rebounds. The result came against a Houston team listed at 30-7 entering the game, while Illinois improved to 27-8 and recorded what the program called its 11th trip to the regional final and its second Elite Eight in three seasons. Illinois is scheduled to meet Big Ten rival Iowa in the South Region final on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 5:09 p.m. CT with the game airing on TBS/truTV.
