By IlliniGuys Staff

November 11, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Andrej Stojakovic came off the bench to score a season-high 23 points as No. 14 Illinois fought off a Texas Tech rally in the second half to post the 81-77 win.

The Illini, still without four key players due to injury, earned the upset despite a dominant effort by Texas Tech All-American JT Toppin's 35 points, his most ever in a regulation game.

Stojakovic, the Cal transfer who missed the season opener while nursing a bone bruise suffered during late summer workouts, scored 13 of his points in the second half and blocked Christian Anderson's three-point attempt in the final seconds to preserve the win. He added three rebounds and three steals with his dad, three-time NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, in attendance.

Illinois (3-0) withstood a 7-0 Red Raiders start by answering with an 11-0 run of their own, launched by a pair of three pointers by Kylan Boswell. The Illini never trailed again in the first half, scoring 20 points off Texas Tech turnovers as they built a 45-32 halftime lead.

But the Red Raiders stormed back, led by Toppin. The 6-foot-9 junior took over the game as Texas Tech hit its first 11 shots of the half to take a 56-55 lead. Toppin made his first nine field goal attempts of the half, as he scored 24 of his points after halftime to go with 11 rebounds. He also committed six of Tech's 13 turnovers.

Once they lost the lead, the Illinois veterans stepped up. Boswell and Stojakovic combining to score 23 of the Illini's 26 points and getting 4 steals the rest of the way as Illinois held last year's NCAA Elite Eight participant to under 50 percent shooting (9 of 20) for the remainder of the game.

Boswell finished with 22 points while Zvonimir Ivisic, David Mirkovic, and Keaton Wagler all scored 11.

LeJuan Watts had 21 points as the only other double-figure scorer for Texas Tech (2-1).

Illinois returns to action when they host Colgate Friday night (8pm CST, BTN Plus).

Stay with IlliniGuys.com for complete postgame coverage from State Farm Center.