Illinois vs Houston score, highlights: Fighting Illini win rock fight

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Illinois vs Houston score, highlights: Fighting Illini win rock fight

Matthew Glenesk and Austin Curtright, USA TODAY · USA TODAY Sports

Thu, Mar 26, 2026 ·

7 min read

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Illinois ' calling card all season has been its high-powered offense. Against No. 2 seed Houston in the Sweet 16 on Thursday, March 26, it gave the Cougars a taste of their own medicine.

Illinois' defense led the charge in its 65-55 win over Houston in a virtual road game, with the contest being held at Toyota Center in Houston. The Fighting Illini held the Cougars, known for their tough defenses, to 34.4% shooting on the night.

March Madness: Sweet 16 games ranked

Illinois entered the game ranking No. 17 nationally in scoring offense (84.7 points per game), although it was forced into a rock fight of sorts against coach Kelvin Sampson and Houston. It fortunately worked out in its favor, despite itself shooting under 50% for the game.

Freshman David Mirkovic led the way for the Fighting Illini with 14 points and 10 rebounds, followed by Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic who both scored 13 points. Now, Illinois looks forward to fellow Big Ten member Iowa for a spot in the Final Four, setting up a rematch of a past regular season matchup this season that the Fighting Illini won.

Here are the highlights from Illinois' impressive win over Houston in the Sweet 16:

Illinois vs Houston basketball score

TEAMS	1H	2H	F
Illinois	24	41	65
Houston	22	33	55

Illinois vs Houston highlights

Illinois wins 65-55, will face Iowa in Elite Eight

Illinois holds on for a 65-55 win despite a late effort from Houston. The Fighting Illini are moving on to the Elite Eight, where they'll face No. 9 seed Iowa, a Big Ten foe they've already defeated this season in their lone matchup.

David Mirkovic leads the way for Illinois with 14 points and 10 rebounds on 6-of-13 shooting. Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic added 13 each.

Illinois on 8-0 run

Illinois is absolutely dominating in the second half. The Fighting Illini have outscored Houston 34-19 overall following an 8-0 run to lead 58-41.

Houston cut Illinois' lead to 50-41 before Illinois started to pull away again with a big run.

Houston still hasn't attempted a free throw

Houston, somehow, has still yet to attempt a free throw with less than seven minutes left in the second half. The Cougars trail 50-35 and are shooting 30% from the field.

Illinois pulling away

The Fighting Illini are running away with it against Houston, with a 20-2 run over the last 6:34 of regulation, forcing a Houston timeout. Illinois now leads the Cougars 44-26 in the second half with 11:52 left.

Houston is shooting just 11-of-43 from the field, as Illinois is giving the Cougars a taste of their own medicine right now defensively.

Illinois on 11-0 run

Illinois has taken a 38-26 lead with 13:39 left in the second half following its 11-0 run across the last 3:58 of regulation. The Cougars have been held to four points in over six minutes to start the second half.

David Mirkovic, Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic lead all scorers with nine points each.

Illinois leads 33-26 at under-16 timeout

Illinois leads Houston 33-26 at the under-16 timeout in the second half after a 6-0 run extends its lead. Houston's offense is really struggling right now, and its defense is the only thing keeping it in the game right now.

Illinois leads Houston 24-22 at halftime

Illinois leads Houston 24-22 at halftime after a first half with not much but defense. Illinois is shooting 34.9% from the field compared to the Cougars' 27.3% mark.

Star true freshmen Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler are both off to slow starts, as Flemings is 3-for-7 shooting with seven points and Wagler is 1-of-7 shooting with four points.

Illinois on 7-0 run

One of these teams is finally finding some offensive momentum after Illinois' 7-0 run gives it a 21-14 lead. The Fighting Illini have made three consecutive shots, and Andrej Stojakovic's 3-pointers forces a timeout by Houston.

Houston is 6-of-25 shooting so far, good for a 24% mark.

Andrej Stojakovic getting crafty. Yes, he's Peja's son.

Nothing but defense early in Illinois-Houston

Both offenses are struggling to find any momentum in the early going. Illinois leads Houston 2-0 with 16:13 left in the first half, despite being on a 0-for-7 shooting streak. Houston is 1-for-6 from the field.

What time is Illinois vs Houston Sweet 16 game today?

Tip-off is scheduled for 10:05 p.m. ET from Houston.

What channel is Illinois vs Houston game on? How to watch, streaming info

Houston vs. Illinois will air on TBS/truTV and stream via Sling TV.

Houston vs Illinois prediction

Odds provided by BetMGM , as of noon, Thursday, March 26.

Blake Toppmeyer:Houston
Paul Myerberg:Houston
Jordan Mendoza:Houston
John Brice:Houston
Matt Glenesk:Houston
Craig Meyer:Houston
John Leuzzi:Illinois
Austin Curtright:Houston
Ehsan Kassim:Illinois
Moneyline:Houston (-165); Illinois (+135)
Spread:Houston (-2.5)
Over/under total:139.5

Is Andrej Stojakovic related to Peja Stojakovic?

Yes, Peja is his dad. Peja Stojakovic played 13 seasons in the NBA, primarily for the Sacramento Kings , and was a three-time All-Star.

Andrej played at Cal and Stanford before transferring to Illinois.

How many Europeans are on Illinois' team?

David Mirkovic is from Montenegro
Andrej Stojakovic lists Thessaloniki, Greece as his hometown
Tomislav Ivisic is from Croatia
Zvonimir Ivisic is from Croatia
Mihailo Petrovic is from Serbia
Toni Bilic is from Croatia

Kingston Flemings 2026 NBA Draft, mock draft prediction

Utah Jazz at No. 5 overall.

Kalbrosky's Analysis:

The Jazz currently have the worst defensive rating in the league but could potentially improve that by selecting Houston freshman Kingston Flemings. The All-Big 12 guard has several games when he has recorded at least three steals, notching eight against Arizona State earlier this season. He scored 42 points against No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 24 and had a strong performance against Baylor, recording 21 points with seven assists and two steals on March 4. With highs as high as his thus far, it will not take long for him to hear his name called on draft night.

See USA TODAY's full mock draft here .

Kingston Flemings stats

(all stats as of March 15)

16.4 points per game
3.9 rebounds per game
5.3 assists per game
47.5% field goal percentage
39.2% three-point field goal percentage

Houston NCAA Tournament history (since 2014)

Appearances: 7
Most recent appearance: 2025
Games played: 27 (20-6)
Highest seed: 1
Lowest seed: 6
Best finish: National Championship

Keaton Wagler 2026 NBA Draft mock draft prediction

Atlanta Hawks , pick No. 7.

Kalbrosky's Analysis:

After trading away Trae Young, the Hawks could find their point guard of the future in Illinois standout Keaton Wagler using a first-round pick they received from the Pelicans. The 19-year-old guard scored 46 points while shooting 9-of-11 on 3-pointers against No. 12 Purdue on Jan. 24. He projects as one of the best 3-point shooters in this class, shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman this year. The Big Ten Rookie of the Year is a cerebral basketball player who is also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season.

Keaton Wagler stats

(all stats as of March 15)

17.9 points per game
4.8 rebounds per game
4.4 assists per game
44.6% field goal percentage
40.2% three-point field goal percentage

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Illinois vs Houston score, highlights: Fighting Illini advance to Elite 8

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