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Freshman guard Keaton Wagler made a career-high five 3-pointers and scored 22 points to lead No. 20 Illinois to a 91-48 rout of Missouri on Monday night.
Andrej Stojakovic returned from a first-half injury to score 16 points, and Tomislav Ivisic added 14 points as the Fighting Illini (9-3) posted the most lopsided victory in the history of the Braggin’ Rights rivalry.
Sebastian Mack scored 17 points off the bench to lead Missouri (10-3) as coach Dennis Gates left his reserves for much of the second half with the game out of control.
After building a 16-point halftime lead, the Illini took advantage with two 3-pointers from Ivisic in the opening minutes of the second half and finally brought out their starters with 2 1/2 minutes left.
The previous largest margin of victory in the series, which has been played 45 times since 1980, was Illinois’ 82-50 drubbing in 2005, coming off a Final Four.
Wagler was 5 of 6 from 3-point range and improved to 12 of 18 over the last three games.
The Illini began to pull away midway through the first half with a run fueled by second-chance points on one side and blocks on the other.
Wagler, Ben Humrichous and Jake Davis all hit 3-pointers that followed offensive rebounds during a four-minute stretch that also featured three blocks from Zvonimir Ivisic.
Anthony Robinson II scored Missouri’s first nine points to keep it close early, but the Tigers trailed 41-25 when he closed the first half by making a free throw for his 10th point. He finished with 12.
Stojakovic, Illinois’ second-leading scorer, went to the locker room with nine minutes left in the first half after appearing to injure his left leg. He returned to the bench before halftime and started the second half, even putting down a thunderous dunk to make the score 63-36 midway through the second half.
Next
Missouri opens SEC play at home on Jan. 3 against No. 22 Florida.
Illinois hosts Southern next Monday.
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