HOUSTON — David Mirkovic tallied 14 points and 10 rebounds as third-seeded Illinois showcased its defensive prowess, thereby knocking the previous year’s national runner-up out of the NCAA tournament with a 65-55 victory over Houston in the South Region semifinals on Thursday evening.
A confrontation on Saturday against ninth-seeded Iowa awaits, set to determine which Big Ten contender will progress to the Final Four. This marks the 11th Elite Eight showing for Illinois (27-8), and their second in three campaigns led by Brad Underwood.
Making their seventh successive appearance in the Sweet 16, the second-seeded Cougars (30-7) were elated to compete merely a couple of miles from their university grounds. However, their dismal shooting performance offered Houston supporters scant reason for celebration, while simultaneously pleasing the orange-attired Illini loyalists who undertook the extensive journey to Texas.
Kingston Flemings, the standout freshman point guard projected as an NBA lottery selection, managed 11 points, converting 4 of 10 attempts, while Milos Uzan, meanwhile, connected on only 2 of 11 shots.
Yet, they were not the sole Cougars encountering offensive difficulties. The squad managed merely 34% shooting, marking their lowest-scoring contest of the campaign.
Illinois concluded with a score significantly lower than its 84.7 points-per-game average prior to Thursday’s matchup. Nonetheless, their offensive output proved sufficiently potent to dispatch Houston to its adjacent campus. Keaton Wagler contributed 13 points and 12 boards for the Illini; according to ESPN Research, he and Mirkovic made history as the inaugural freshman teammates to each achieve a double-double in the same NCAA tournament contest since freshmen gained full eligibility in the 1972-73 season.
Andrej Stojakovic also registered 13 points, with his father, three-time NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, watching from the audience.
As the last moments elapsed on the game clock, a significant number of Houston supporters had already departed, while the Illinois faithful remained, standing and applauding their team’s triumph.
Holding a one-point advantage early in the second half, the Illini surged ahead with a decisive 17-0 run, establishing a 44-26 lead with approximately 12 minutes remaining. During this scoring spree, Jake Davis contributed five points, including a shot from beyond the arc, with Mirkovic and Ben Humrichous concluding the surge by hitting successive three-pointers.
Houston’s squad misfired on seven consecutive attempts as Illinois extended its advantage. When Uzan eventually broke Houston’s scoring dry spell with a three-pointer at the 11:20 mark, nearly seven minutes had passed since their last basket.
Successive three-pointers from Chase McCarty narrowed Houston’s deficit to nine points with roughly six minutes remaining. However, Wagler and Tomislav Ivisic countered by sinking three-pointers, spearheading an 8-0 surge that expanded the Illini’s advantage to 58-41.
The Associated Press furnished content for this article.