Wagler stars as No. 13 Illinois beats Northwestern 79-68 for 6th straight win

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Illinois forward David Mirkovic, right, drives as Northwestern forward Tre Singleton guards during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Evanston, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Northwestern forward Arrinten Page (22) battles for a loose ball against guard Jake West (3) and Illinois guard Keaton Wagler (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Evanston, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) — Illinois forward David Mirkovic, right, drives as Northwestern forward Tre Singleton guards during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Evanston, Ill., Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

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10:47 PM on Wednesday, January 14

By JAY COHEN

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Keaton Wagler scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half, and No. 13 Illinois beat Northwestern 79-68 on Wednesday night for their season-high sixth consecutive victory.

Tomislav Ivisic added 21 points and seven rebounds as Illinois (14-3, 5-1 Big Ten) won at Northwestern for the first time since Jan. 29, 2022. The Illini had dropped their last three games in Evanston.

Jayden Reid led Northwestern with a career-high 28 points, including 20 in the second half. Nick Martinelli had 20 points.

The Wildcats (8-9, 0-6) shot 39% (22 for 56) from the field in their fourth consecutive loss.

Northwestern trimmed an 11-point deficit to 53-47 on Reid's jumper with 13:28 left. But Illinois responded with a 9-0 run.

Jake Davis made a 3-pointer, and Wagler drove inside for a three-point play. Wagler then connected from deep, making it 62-47 with 9:43 remaining.

After Reid and Martinelli rallied the Wildcats once again, Wagler set up Ivisic for a 3-pointer that made it 72-63 with 2:53 to go.

Wagler, one of the top freshmen in the country, finished with five rebounds and three assists. He shot 7 for 12 from the field in the second half.

Kylan Boswell had 13 points and six assists for Illinois, which used its superior size to outscore Northwestern 34-18 in the paint.

Ivisic and David Mirkovic made consecutive 3-pointers during a 10-2 run that helped Illinois to a 38-33 halftime lead. Boswell scored nine points for the Illini in the first half, and Martinelli had 11 points for the Wildcats at the break.

Up next

Illinois: Hosts Minnesota on Saturday.

Northwestern: Hosts No. 8 Nebraska on Saturday.

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