Three Numbers That Defined Illinois Basketball's Triumph Over Penn State

On Saturday night, No. 20 Illinois (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) ventured to college basketball’s most illustrious venue – Philadelphia’s Palestra – for a matchup with Penn State (9-5, 0-3 Big Ten).

Battling a scrappy Nittany Lions team (and occasionally themselves) throughout the contest, the Illini held a lead from the opening tip until the final buzzer but were never quite able to turn on cruise control. Still, they left the City of Brotherly Love with a victory – and a hard-earned one at that.

Here are three key numbers from Illinois’ 73-65 win over Penn State.

Three numbers that explain Illinois' win over Penn State

Dec 9, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts to a call during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Illinois’ three-point percentage: 22.2 percent

The Illini, who in 2024-25 launched long-range bombs without a second thought despite shooting a poor percentage, have been efficient from deep this season (35.6 percent heading into the Penn State game), and perhaps equally importantly, have been quite consistent from game to game (only one game below 25 percent before Saturday).

Yet against the Nittany Lions, the Illini struggled immensely from behind the arc. Even though they got their healthy share of open looks, Brad Underwood’s group couldn’t toss a rock in the ocean, going 6-for-27 (22.2 percent) on threes, including 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) in the second half.

In a roundabout way, it was encouraging. Off nights are inevitable, and if the Illini can still win a road game in the Big Ten (albeit against a bottom-feeder Penn State club) in spite of shooting difficulties, that bodes well for their chances of putting together a long NCAA Tournament run come March.

The Illini’s assist total: nine

Nov 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) reacts after getting fouled in the second half against the UConn Huskies at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The primary hurdle Illinois faced: freshman phenom Keaton Wagler’s foul trouble. Without Wagler in the driver's seat, the Illini couldn’t find a rhythm offensively and were forced to go into post-up situations and iso ball, leading to mediocre looks and overall stagnancy.

The result? Nine total assists – Illinois' second-lowest output of the season – and that aforementioned horrid shooting from beyond the arc. The nightmare that was the Illini's Wagler-less offense is a bit worrisome, but, again, there's something to be said for a team that is able to fight through a rough shooting night and still eke out a Big Ten victory away from home.

Penn State’s field-goal percentage: 34.8 percent

On the bright side, Illinois didn’t let offensive woes spill over to the defensive end, as the Illini had the Nittany Lions in handcuffs for 40 straight minutes. Penn State shot just 24-for-69 (34.8 percent) from the field en route to just 65 points – tied for its second-lowest total this season.

Zvonimir Ivisic patrolled the paint, sending back five shots and deterring practically every other attempt during his time on the floor. Kylan Boswell put together perhaps his best defensive performance of the campaign, mostly snuffing the scoring explosiveness of the Nittany Lions’ Kayden Mingo until garbage time, and entirely shutting him down in the first half (Mingo had zero points before the break).

Zvonimir Ivisic BLOCK 😤 @IlliniMBB

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/OUkhnCj4Vi
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 4, 2026

Although the individual performances were impressive, it was the overall defensive synergy – which has been present in spades since that Missouri win – that is promising for Illinois’ future.