Chambana Sun

Kasparas Jakucionis' decisive three-pointer in the final moments of the game secured a victory for Illinois over Purdue, concluding their regular season with an 88-80 win. The Illini, who trailed by ten points in the second half, rallied back to secure the win at State Farm Center.

Illinois' starters all scored in double figures, led by Will Riley with 22 points and Tre White contributing 20. Jakucionis finished with ten points, while Kylan Boswell added 15 and Tomislav Ivisic scored 14. Ben Humrichous played a key role off the bench with seven points, including crucial three-pointers during Illinois' closing run.

Riley had a solid performance shooting 7-for-14 from the field and was perfect from the free-throw line. White matched his career-high with three successful three-point shots and started strong by scoring seven of Illinois’ first nine points.

The game saw a tight contest until halftime when Purdue held a narrow lead of 42-40. However, they extended this lead to ten points early in the second half before Illinois mounted their comeback. A pivotal jumper by Riley initiated a significant scoring run for Illinois, ultimately giving them their first lead since early in the game.

Purdue briefly regained control but could not hold off Illinois' late surge led by Trey Kaufman-Renn's notable performance with a game-high of 29 points.

With this victory behind them, Illinois looks ahead to the Big Ten Championship next Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.