- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Northwestern Crushed by No. 5 Illinois, 84-44
Wildcats suffer second-worst loss in series history against dominant Illini squad
Feb. 4, 2026 at 11:31pm
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
The Northwestern Wildcats were thoroughly outmatched by the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini, suffering an embarrassing 84-44 defeat at the State Farm Center. Illinois dominated from start to finish, going on a 25-2 run in the first half to blow the game wide open. The Wildcats struggled mightily on offense, shooting just 4-for-25 from 3-point range, while the Illini connected on 17 of their 38 attempts from beyond the arc.
Why it matters
This lopsided loss is the second-worst defeat in the history of the Northwestern-Illinois rivalry, highlighting the growing gap between the two programs. After splitting the series 3-3 over the past three seasons, Illinois has now won two straight games against their in-state foe by double-digit margins, re-establishing their dominance in the matchup.
The details
Northwestern kept the game close early, trailing 8-7 at the first media timeout, but the Illini then went on a devastating 25-2 run to blow the game open. Illinois shot the ball extremely well, connecting on 17 3-pointers, while the Wildcats struggled mightily, making just 4 of their 25 attempts from beyond the arc. Northwestern head coach Chris Collins acknowledged that his team was "totally outclassed" and that the Illini were "daring a lot of our guys to shoot the ball" and "shaming" them when they did.
- The game was played on February 5, 2026 at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
The players
Chris Collins
The head coach of the Northwestern Wildcats basketball team.
Brad Underwood
The head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini basketball team.
Tre Singleton
A freshman player for the Northwestern Wildcats who led the team with 8 points in the loss.
Nick Martinelli
A star player for the Northwestern Wildcats who was held to a season-low 4 points in the blowout defeat.
Ty Berry
A former Northwestern player who missed time due to injury in the 2023 season, when the Wildcats and Illini split their season series.
What they’re saying
“We went to our bench and they hit us with, like, an 11-0 run right away. We had a couple really bad turnovers... We just shot the ball so terribly. … I looked up one time and it was 33-9. Had we made any shots at all, maybe it's 33-20 or 33-21, and you're still kind of in the mix.”
— Chris Collins, Head Coach, Northwestern Wildcats
“They are a vastly superior team to us this year.”
— Chris Collins, Head Coach, Northwestern Wildcats
What’s next
The Wildcats will look to regroup and end their losing streak when they host the Michigan Wolverines on February 12th.
The takeaway
This lopsided defeat highlights the growing gap between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Illinois Fighting Illini, with the Illini re-establishing their dominance in the in-state rivalry. The Wildcats' struggles to build a roster capable of competing with the Big Ten's elite programs have been exposed, putting pressure on head coach Chris Collins to address the team's roster management and development issues.
