COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Illinois got all it could handle Sunday afternoon at the Xfinity Center, but when the pressure rose late, David Mirkovic made sure the Illini didn’t leave with a damaging upset. Behind a dominant 22-point, 10-rebound double-double from Mirkovic, Illinois survived a tough Maryland push and escaped with a 78–72 victory.
Maryland Set the Tone Early
Illinois opened the game with Dylan Boswell knocking down two free throws and Jake Davis adding a three-pointer, but Maryland responded right away. Andre Mills and Solomon Washington answered with early baskets, and Mills buried a three to tie the game at seven before the first media timeout.
That quick response foreshadowed the kind of afternoon Illinois was in for.
Maryland played with far more energy than its record suggested, attacking with confidence and refusing to let Illinois settle into a comfortable rhythm. Washington later hit another three to put the Terrapins in front, and the Illini looked like a team that may have underestimated an opponent with nothing to lose.
Mirkovic Helped Illinois Regain Control
Whenever Illinois needed a steadying presence, Mirkovic delivered.
He scored coming out of a timeout, Darius Adams answered with a strong drive for Maryland, and Davis knocked down another three as the teams traded momentum. The pace picked up, the shot-making improved, and for a stretch the game turned into a back-and-forth exchange.
Zvonimir Ivisic broke a brief stalemate with a dunk, Mills responded again, and Ben Humrichous and Isiah Watts traded threes as the intensity climbed. Diggy Coit then hit a three to give Maryland the lead, but Mirkovic answered with a three-point play that kept Illinois from slipping too far behind.
The Illini finally pieced together some control late in the half. Ivisic and Davis both scored, and Mirkovic added a put-back before the break to help Illinois flip the momentum.
Halftime: Illinois 37, Maryland 34
First-Half Numbers
Points off turnovers: Illinois 12, Maryland 6
Assists: Illinois 9, Maryland 5
Maryland turnovers: 7
Illinois turnovers: 5
The numbers reflected how tight the half really was, but Illinois gained a slight edge by turning Maryland’s mistakes into points and moving the ball more efficiently.
Maryland Wouldn’t Go Away
The Terrapins came out of halftime ready to swing again.
Mills opened the second half with a three-pointer to tie the game, but Keaton Wagler answered immediately with one of his own. Coit tied it again at 40, and for several minutes every Illinois basket seemed to be matched by a Maryland answer.
Then Illinois finally found a little breathing room.
Boswell and Wagler sparked a 6–0 run that pushed the Illini ahead 48–42 by the under-16 timeout. It looked like Illinois might finally be ready to pull away, but Maryland refused to cooperate. Adams drilled a three, Mills kept creating offense, and the upset threat remained very real.
Andre Mills Kept the Pressure On
Mills was sensational all afternoon and gave Maryland a chance deep into the final minutes.
The redshirt freshman mixed perimeter shot-making with aggressive drives and timely finishes, consistently punishing Illinois whenever the Illini lost focus. He snapped a scoring drought with a three-point play, then continued to trade baskets with Mirkovic as the game tightened.
When Isiah Watts scored to tie it at 59, Illinois suddenly found itself in a real fight.
That’s when the Illini responded with the poise of a veteran team. Andrej Stojakovic finished a layup to put Illinois back in front, Humrichous buried a key three, and Mirkovic knocked down a jumper that stretched the lead to six.
Mirkovic Closed the Door
Maryland still had one final push left.
The Terrapins went on a 6–0 run, led by two Mills baskets, to trim the deficit to just two with 1:02 remaining. The crowd came alive, and Illinois looked vulnerable again.
But Mirkovic had the answer.
With 38 seconds left, he finished a layup to restore control and push the Illinois lead back to two possessions. Maryland got one more chance to make it a one-score game, but Mills missed a three-pointer, and Illinois finally sealed the win.
Key Stats
Points in the paint: Illinois 42, Maryland 20
Second-chance points: Illinois 19, Maryland 6
Those were the difference.
Illinois did not dominate the flow of the game for 40 minutes, and Maryland’s shot-making kept the pressure on throughout. But the Illini were much stronger around the basket and far more effective at cashing in on extra possessions. That interior toughness and ability to create second chances allowed Illinois to survive when the perimeter game became less reliable.
Player Highlights
Illinois
David Mirkovic: 22 pts, 10 reb
Dylan Boswell: 11 pts
Keaton Wagler: 11 pts
Jake Davis: key perimeter scoring
Zvonimir Ivisic: important interior finishes
Maryland
Andre Mills: 30 pts, 10-of-18 FG
Darius Adams: 14 pts
Diggy Coit: 10 pts
Mills may have been the game’s most explosive scorer, but Mirkovic was the most important player on the floor. His rebounding, finishing, and late basket helped Illinois avoid what would have been a costly upset.
What’s Next
Maryland opens against Oregon on Tuesday.
Illinois, with a triple bye in hand, begins its conference tournament run in Friday’s quarterfinals.
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