No. 10 Illinois overwhelms USC by 36 points, cruising to its 14th win in
16 games
[February 19, 2026] By
BETH HARRIS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic scored 22 points
to lead seven players in double figures and No. 10 Illinois routed
Southern California 101-65 on Wednesday night for its 14th win in 16
games.
Blue and orange-clad fans were out in force for the
Fighting Illini's first game against the Trojans in Los Angeles since
1975. The Illini (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) didn't disappoint, leading all the
way to maintain a hold on second place in the conference standings
behind No. 1 Michigan. |
Illinois guard Kylan Boswell, center, greets guard Andrej Stojakovic,
left, and center Zvonimir Ivisic during the first half of an NCAA
college basketball game against Southern California Wednesday, Feb. 18,
2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) |
|
The Illini were up by 22 at halftime, and poured it on to start
the second half. They outscored the Trojans 21-10, hitting five
3-pointers and extending the lead to 75-42. Stojakovic capped
the spurt with a steal and one-handed slam that drew cheers.
Stojakovic was 6 of 7 from the floor and made all nine of his
free throws. David Mirkovic added 14 points. The Illini hit 24
of 26 free throws while sending USC to its biggest loss of the
season.
Illinois made 13 3-pointers, and at one point in the second half
was shooting equally as well from long range as from the floor
overall (46%). Visiting fans took turns shouting “I-L-L” with
the other side of the arena responding “I-N-I.”
Ezra Ausar scored 15 points and Jacob Cofie added 14 for USC
(18-8, 7-8), which lost its second straight and fell to 0-4
against ranked teams. The Trojans were without second-leading
scorer Chad Baker-Mazara (18.3 points per game) because of a
strained knee. They committed 14 turnovers that led to 22 points
for the Illini.
Up next
Illinois visits UCLA on Saturday.
USC remains in the Pacific time zone for its final five Big Ten
games, starting Saturday when Oregon visits.
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