Illinois 78-72 Maryland (Mar 8, 2026) Game Recap Illinois held off Maryland in a tightly contested Big Ten matchup, securing a 78-72 victory on Sunday. The Fighting Illini, ranked No. 11, advanced to the quarterfinals of the conference tournament with the win, while Maryland, the No. 17 seed, will face Oregon in the opening game of the event. David Mirkovic led Illinois with 22 points and 11 rebounds, anchoring the Illini’s effort in a game that saw both teams battle through the final minutes. Maryland, which finished with a 11-20 record and a 4-16 mark in conference play, gave Illinois a significant challenge. The Terrapins trailed by two points with 1:04 remaining but managed to cut the deficit to one before a critical defensive stop and a layup by Mirkovic sealed the Illini’s fate. The game’s turning point came in the fourth quarter when Illinois launched a 7-0 run following a three-pointer by Ben Humrichous. Maryland, struggling to contain the Illini’s offense, failed to capitalize on its opportunities in the final minutes. After a missed layup by Darius Adams with under five seconds left, the Terrapins were unable to mount a comeback. Maryland’s Andre Mills scored 30 points, the highest total of the game, while Darius Adams added 14 and Diggy Coit contributed 10. Despite their efforts, the Terps fell short of their goal of securing a better conference finish, finishing one game ahead of Penn State for last place in the Big Ten. Illinois, meanwhile, extended its Big Ten road win streak to eight games, tying a program record. The Illini shot just 5 of 24 from beyond the arc, but their balanced scoring and defensive resilience proved decisive. Kylan Boswell and Keaton Wagler each added 11 points to complement Mirkovic’s performance.#illinois #maryland #david_mirkovic #andre_mills #darius_adams
