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Illinois 76, VCU 55: Stojakovic Leads No. 3 Illini Into Sweet Sixteen

Behind Andrej Stojakovic’s 21 points, Illinois leveraged its size to control the paint, earning a Houston matchup.

Overview

  • Illinois advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time in three seasons under Brad Underwood with a 76-55 win in Greenville, S.C.
  • Stojakovic came off the bench to score 21, including all nine points in a 9-0 burst to close the first half that flipped control to the Illini.
  • Illinois’ defense and length held VCU to roughly 35% shooting and a lopsided rebounding gap, reported as 45-29 by AP and 42-29 by Yahoo.
  • A pivotal second-half sequence featured Zvonimir Ivisic’s chase-down block leading to his transition dunk, followed by a Kylan Boswell three that stretched the lead.
  • Next up is No. 2 seed Houston in the South Region in Houston; box-score lines for Ivisic conflict across outlets, with AP listing 14 points and 11 rebounds and Yahoo citing two points and three assists.