Zvonimir Ivisic scores 18 points and Keaton Wagler adds 17 as No. 13 Illinois beats Minnesota 77-67

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Illinois' Zvonimir Ivisic dunks during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Minnesota Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)

Minnesota's Cade Tyson attempts to block Keaton Wagler's drive to the basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman) — Illinois' Zvonimir Ivisic dunks during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Minnesota Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)

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12:12 PM on Saturday, January 17

By STEVE STEIN

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Zvonimir Ivisic scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds off the bench and Keaton Wagler had 17 points to lead No. 13 Illinois to a 77-67 victory over Minnesota on Saturday.

David Mirkovic had 12 points, all in the second half, and Tomislav Ivisic scored 10 for the Illini (15-3, 6-1 Big Ten), who won their seventh straight.

It was the 10th consecutive game that Wagler scored in double figures. He's had at least 16 points in nine of those games.

Andrej Stojakovic scored seven points for Illinois, which gave him 1,000 for his career. He played at Stanford and California before joining the Illini this year.

Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 22 points and had eight rebounds for the Gophers (10-8, 3-4), who have lost three straight after a five-game winning streak.

Crocker-Johnson tallied Minnesota's first 11 points, including triples on the Gophers' first two possessions that caused Illinois coach Brad Underwood to call a timeout only 1:12 into the game.

Cade Tyson had 15 points and eight rebounds for Minnesota before the Big Ten's second-leading scorer fouled out with 52 seconds left. Langston Reynolds had 11 points for the Gophers.

The teams were tied 34-34 at halftime, with Illinois shooting only 34% from the field. The Illini erased a 56-55 Minnesota lead midway through the second half with a 10-0 run and never trailed again.

Illinois is off to its best 18-game start since it also went 15-3 to begin the 2011-12 season.

The Illini have won nine in a row against Minnesota in a streak that began in 2019. Saturday's game was the 200th meeting between the teams. The Illini lead the series 132-68, including 77-19 at home.

Up next

Minnesota: At Ohio State on Tuesday.

Illinois: Hosts Maryland on Wednesday.

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This story has been corrected to show David Mirkovic had 12 points, not 10.

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