By Brad Sturdy - IlliniGuys Insider/Analyst & Co-Host, IlliniGuys Sports Spectacular
November 8, 2025
In the pregame we said this game would be more difficult than the first one, and perhaps it was a bit closer at the end, but Illinois dominated this one early and cruised to a 113-70 win over Florida Gulf Coast. Kylan Boswell scored a career high 31 while grabbing 10 rebounds to lead 4 Illini in double figures. David Mirkovic had 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Zvonimir Ivisic had 16 points, 9 rebounds and 7 blocks and freshman phenom Keaton Wagler added 22 points and 7 rebounds.
The Illini are 2-0 with a huge matchup against Texas Tech looming on Tuesday night. Here’s a look back at what we saw.
These 3 Things:
- Injuries Mounting - The loss of Ivisic and the continued absence of Petrovic is concerning as Illinois enters the difficult portion of their non-conference schedule. The next man up philosophy works well against FGCU, but they need both guys if they want to win big in March. Not to mention Ty Rodgers and Brandon Lee. Lee is missing out on valuable time to get comfortable in the college game. Rodgers provides athleticism on the wing. It was great to see Stojakovic get the jitters out on Friday as they prepare for a tougher opponent.
- Defensive Issues? - Illinois only forced 1 turnover and although they contested shots well using their length, they lacked some bite, especially in the second half. The Illini have to apply a bit more pressure and do a better job off the ball. They got caught on screens and failed to contest shots at times with moving shooters. The on ball defense was solid, however. As the communication improves, so should the defense. One note, Mirkovic is a hand down man down defender, and needs to close out hands high.
- Weapons Galore - But this team can score and pass. FGCU forced Illinois to play more 1 on 1, but Illinois used their switching to create mismatches and attack them. However, the off-ball cutting began working as well and the Illini got easy shots at the rim and wide open 3’s. Stojakovic, Wagler and Boswell all have the ability to get downhill, and Mirkovic uses his skill and strength to get his shoulder by the defender. And everyone can shoot.
Notable:
Kylan Boswell finished with a career-high 31 points along with a career-high tying 10 rebounds and three assists.
- Posted his second-career double-double after notching a triple-double last season vs. Chicago State (12/29/24).
- Career-best 31 points broke his previous high of 24 set vs. Iowa in last year’s Big Ten Tournament (3/13/25).
- Logged the first 30-point showing and fifth game with 20+ points in his career.
- Recorded his 10th consecutive game in double-figures scoring and the 26th game with 10+ points of his Illini career.
- Tied a career high with four 3-pointers.
- Zvonimir Ivisic logged 16 points, nine rebounds, and career-high seven blocked shots.
- Started for the first time as an Illini in place of his twin brother, Tomislav Ivisic, who did not play due to injury.
- His seven blocks are tied for the second-most in a game in program history.
- His seven blocks are the most by an Illini since Mike Tisdale had seven blocks against Penn State on Jan. 12, 2010.
- Posted double-digit points for the first time this season.
- Made his first four shots from the field.
- Crossed the 10-point plateau by completing a 4-point play at the 11:48 mark in the first half.
- Made 3+ 3-pointers for the 10th time in his career and for the first time as an Illini.
- Keaton Wagler collected 22 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
- Secured the first 20-point showing of his career.
- Scored in double figures for the second time this season/in his career.
- Has back-to-back 10+-point outings to start his collegiate career.
- Had 16 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the first half.
- Four of his seven rebounds came on the offensive glass.
- Was a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line.
- David Mirkovic tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds, an assist, and a block.
- Recorded back-to-back double-doubles to begin his Illini career
- Finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds in season-opening win vs. Jackson State (11/3/25)
- Posted his second double-digit scoring effort of the season/of his career.
- Reached that mark after accounting for the Illini's first six points of the second half.
- Andrej Stojakovic secured nine points, five rebounds, and three assists.
- Made his Illinois debut, checking in at the 15:30 mark in the first half with the Illini leading 16-1.
- Illinois has started 2-0 or better for the eighth straight season under head coach Brad Underwood.
- Offensively, the Fighting Illini eclipsed the 100-point mark for the 13th time in the Brad Underwood Era.
- Illinois has scored 110+ points in back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 23-26, 2019.
- Illinois scored 113 points in the season-opening win vs. Jackson State (11/3/25)
- The Illini have now posted back-to-back 100-point games three times under Underwood:
- 11/23/19 vs. Hampton (W, 120-71) and 11/26/19 vs. Lindenwood (W, 117-65)
- 12/29/24 vs. Chicago State (W, 117-64) and 1/2/25 at #9 Oregon (W, 109-77)
- The Illini started the game on a 18-1 run, holding the Eagles scoreless for the first 2:36 and without a field goal for the first 6:28.
- Illinois held FGCU to an 0-for-12 start from the field.
- Illinois outrebounded FGCU 51-30 with a 40-17 advantage on the defensive boards..
- Included a 30-19 advantage in the first half and a 25-9 edge on the defensive glass.
- The Illini made 30-34 (88.2%) of their free throws, the highest percentage since Feb. 17, 2024, against Maryland (min. 30 attempts), 32-36 (88.9%).
- Friday's attendance of 15,544 marked the first sellout crowd of the season at State Farm Center.
- Last season the Illini played in front of 12 sellout crowds at State Farm Center and ranked 11th nationally with an average attendance of 15,091.
Up Next
It’s #10 Texas Tech on Tuesday at 7:30PM at the State Farm Center in a marquee matchup.
