No. 10 Illinois Crushes USC by 36 Points

Fighting Illini cruise to 14th win in 16 games with dominant performance

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The No. 10 ranked Illinois Fighting Illini routed the University of Southern California Trojans 101-65 on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. Andrej Stojakovic led the Illini with 22 points as seven players scored in double figures. Illinois led by 22 at halftime and pulled away in the second half, hitting 13 3-pointers and making 24 of 26 free throws.

Why it matters

The win keeps Illinois in second place in the Big Ten conference standings behind No. 1 Michigan. The Illini have now won 14 of their last 16 games and are establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the country. For USC, the loss was their second straight and dropped them to 0-4 against ranked opponents this season.

The details

Illinois was dominant from start to finish, leading the entire game and outscoring USC 21-10 to start the second half and extend their lead to 75-42. The Illini shot 46% from 3-point range and were nearly perfect from the free throw line, making 24 of 26 attempts. USC was without their second-leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara due to a knee injury and committed 14 turnovers that led to 22 points for Illinois.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, February 19, 2026.

The players

Andrej Stojakovic

The leading scorer for Illinois, pouring in 22 points on 6-of-7 shooting and making all 9 of his free throw attempts.

David Mirkovic

Added 14 points for the Fighting Illini in the dominant win.

Ezra Ausar

Led USC with 15 points in the loss.

Jacob Cofie

Contributed 14 points for the Trojans.

Chad Baker-Mazara

USC's second-leading scorer who missed the game due to a knee injury.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

Illinois visits UCLA on Saturday, while USC remains in the Pacific time zone for its final five Big Ten games, starting Saturday when Oregon visits.

The takeaway

This dominant win for the No. 10 Fighting Illini solidifies their status as one of the top teams in the country and keeps them in second place in the competitive Big Ten conference. For USC, the loss highlights their struggles against ranked opponents and the impact of injuries, as they were without their second-leading scorer.