GREENVILLE, S.C. — In their first NCAA Tournament games, Illinois freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic looked plenty built for March in leading No. 3 seed Illinois to a dominant 105-70 first-round NCAA Tournament victory over No. 14 seed Penn at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Thursday.
In his March Madness debut, Mirkovic put together one of the best statistical performances in Illini history with 29 points (tied for fourth-most in Illini NCAA Tournament history) and an Illini NCAA Tournament record 18 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Wagler — the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a consensus Second Team All-American — filled the stat sheet for Illinois (25-8) with 18 points (4-for-7 from three), seven rebounds and seven assists.
Senior guard Kylan Boswell added 13 points and limited Penn star TJ Power, who was ill, to six points on 2-for-8 shooting. Illini junior center Tomislav Ivisic added 12 points and seven rebounds, while Ben Humrichous scored 12 points, making 4 of 8 from three.
The Illini's 105 points set a program record for most points in a game, topping the Illini's 96-point performance in a win over Northwestern State in 2001. Illinois shot 15-for-36 from three, including 9-for-14 from beyond the arc in a dominant second half.
The Illini advance to play No. 11 VCU on Saturday in the Round of 32. The Rams (28-7) overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to beat No. 6 seed North Carolina 82-78 in overtime on Thursday.
Michael Zanoni led Penn with 20 points, but the Illini held the Quakers to 9-for-30 from three and dominated on the interior, outscoring Penn 44-24 in the paint and outrebounding Penn 48-25. Cam Thrower added 14 points for the Quakers (18-12).
Illinois took a commanding 26-13 lead after making 4 of 8 threes to start and then an 8-0 run keyed by Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic (9 points) pounding the paint. But Penn then rattled off a 9-0 run, keyed by six straight points from Zanoni and Illinois missing six straight 3-pointers, to cut the deficit to 26-22. But Illinois went on a 14-5 run behind eight points from Mirkovic to take a 40-27 lead and a 40-30 advantage into halftime.
The Illini then imposed their will in the second half. They went on a 14-2 run, led by eight points from Wagler, to take a 61-40 lead. Mirkovic then hit two 3-pointers during a 19-4 run to take an 83-51 lead, and the Illini kept pouring on with Humrichous hitting two 3-pointers late to help Illinois top 100 points.
What it means: That's how you want to see a talented team impose its will against a mid-major foe. Illinois had some frustrating moments in the first half as it settled for 3-pointers to allow Penn back into the game after a great early start. But the Illini asserted itself and controlled most of the game by using its domineering size to its advantage. The Illini passed their first checkpoint, but that was expected. Yet, the Illini's path to a Sweet Sixteen also opened up wider with a No. 11 seed, albeit a talented one in VCU, awaiting on Saturday.
Star of the game: David Mirkovic has been the Illini's most consistent and toughest player for quite some time, and he set the tone for the Illini and carried them for most of the first half (17 points and 10 rebounds) at halftime, helping Illinois dominate the glass, while he was one of the few Illini who consistently attacked the rim and made his 3-pointers. He then continued to pour it on in the second half and ended with one of the best games in Illini history.
Stats of the game
Illinois outrebounded Penn 48-25
Illinois outscored Penn in the paint 44-25
Illinois outscored Penn on second-chance points 29-7
Illinois made 9 of 13 from three in the second half after shooting 6-for-22 from three in the first half.
Illinois outscored Penn 65-40 in the second half.
Don't overlook: Kylan Boswell was masterful defensively on TJ Power. While the Penn star was clearly ill, Boswell pestered him and never let him feel comfortable. That's what Illinois needs from its All-Big Ten Defensive Team guard, and this could be a legacy weekend for Boswell if he can help limit VCU star Terrence Hill Jr. on Saturday, too.
