By IlliniGuys Staff

November 24, 2025

(Cover photo courtesy Brent Zinkmann/IlliniGuys)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Andrej Stojakovic led five Illini players in double figures with a game-high 24 points as No. 13 Illinois defeated Texas-Rio Grande Valley 87-73 in their final tune-up before their New York City showdown with 5th ranked UConn.

"We knew they would play hard", Stojakovic said on the postgame radio show and when asked if he'd played in Madison Square Garden before, he admitted "I've never been to New York."

The junior transfer from Cal scored seven points - including a fast break dunk - during the Illini's 22-6 run in the first half to erase an early 18-14 deficit and take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Stojakovic, who led the Golden Bears in scoring last season with 17.9 points per game, scored 20 points or more 13 times during his sophomore season, including a career-best 37 in a season-ending ACC Tournament loss to Stanford last March. He's already hit for 20 or more four times in six games as an Illini and played a season-high 31 minutes against the Vaqueros. He's averaging a career-best 18.5 points this season.

Mihailo Petrovic continues to improve as he battles back from a hamstring injury suffered during the preseason last month.  The sophomore point guard scored a career-best 12 points with four assists in 16 minutes. David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, and Zvonimir Ivisic each scored 10 points for Illinois (6-1).

Keaton Wagler and Ben Humrichous each grabbed eight rebounds as Illinois tallied a 44-32 advantage on the boards.

Ky Dickson led Texas-Rio Grande Valley (2-4) with 21 points.

Illinois hit the 80-point mark for the seventh time this season, their longest streak since opening the 1988-89 season with 12 straight. It's the Illini's last home game until mid-December, as they take on UConn Friday in Manhattan (11:30am, FOX) before heading to Nashville to face No. 17 Tennessee on December 6th.

The holiday weekend matchup with the Huskies will be the first since UConn's 77-52 Elite Eight victory in March 2023 on their way to a repeat national championship. Injured forward Ty Rodgers and reserve guard AJ Redd are the only Illini remaining from their roster.

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