Illinois stuns 2-seed Houston 65-55, reaches Elite Eight
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- David Mirkovic led Illinois with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the 65-55 Sweet 16 upset of second-seeded Houston, sending the Illini to the Elite Eight for the 11th time in program history.
- Keaton Wagler added 13 points and 12 rebounds, joining Mirkovic as the first freshman duo to each record a double-double in the same NCAA tournament game since freshmen became fully eligible in 1972-73, per ESPN Research.
- Houston shot just 34% in their lowest-scoring game of the season, with star freshman Kingston Flemings going 4-of-10 and Milos Uzan 2-of-11 from the field.
- Illinois broke open a one-point second-half lead with a 17-0 run to build a 44-26 advantage, capped by consecutive 3-pointers from Mirkovic and Ben Humrichous.
- Andrej Stojakovic scored 13 points with his father, three-time NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, watching from the stands.
- Illinois (27-8) will face ninth-seeded Iowa on Saturday, guaranteeing a Big Ten team reaches the Final Four; it's the Illini's second Elite Eight appearance in three seasons under Brad Underwood.
Why it matters: Illinois eliminates last year's national runner-up, ending Houston's seven-consecutive Sweet 16 run. The Illini's 17-0 second-half run — fueled by defense that held Houston to a season-low 34% — flips a one-point game into a 20-point lead. Saturday's matchup with Iowa ensures a Big Ten team punches its Final Four ticket.
