WCIA ChampaignSat, February 28, 2026 at 3:10 AM UTC·1 min readCHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Illinois men’s basketball suffered its fifth Big Ten loss of the season on Friday.
The Illini suffered defeat against Michigan, 84-70.
Illinois started strong, opening up a 16-11 lead in the first seven minutes.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, former Illinois big man Morez Johnson Jr. found a groove in the first half and scored 13 points before halftime to lead the Wolverines to a seven point lead at halftime.
Illinois would pull within five early in the second half, before everything went south for the home team.
The Wolverines pull away to lead by as many as 21 down the stretch, and win by 14
Illinois struggled to stop Michigan’s front court. Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. scored 19 points each for UM, while Yaxel Lendenborg scored 16.
Keaton Wagler led Illinois with 23 points.
The Illini fall to 22-7 overall and 13-5 in Big Ten play.
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