The
Illinois Fighting Illini season came to an end against the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Milwaukee's Fiserv Forum. Kentucky put away the Illini, 84-75, to advance to the Sweet 16 in a game that saw Illinois' big three starters — Will Riley, Tomislav Ivisic and Kasparas Jakucionis — combine for 10 turnovers and 12 of 35 shooting from the field. Down by 16, the Illini got 3s from Ivisic and Jakucionis to cut the Kentucky lead down to 60-51 with 11:46 left in the second half. But Kentucky blew it right back out as Koby Brea hit a jumper and a pair of 3s in a span of 59 seconds for 68-53 with 10:14 left. Brea was the best player on the floor in this game, delivering a game-high 23 points on 10 of 16 shooting -- including three 3-pointers — and adding six rebounds. Kentucky blazed out of the gate in the second half to build a 53-39 lead off a 16-7 run in the first five minutes. Amari Williams had a pair of dunks 90 seconds apart for Kentucky. The Illini committed 8 turnovers in the game's first 12 minutes and trailed Kentucky by as much as 12. But they cleaned up the ballhandling — most of the mistakes were on poor passes — and cut Kentucky's lead down to 5 by halftime. Kylan Boswell had a tip-in and two layups to fuel a 10-2 Illinois run to get back into it. Will Riley had a jumper and two free throws in the final two minutes. The Illini (23-13) were the No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region, in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season under coach
Brad Underwood . No. 3 Kentucky (24-11) advanced to a Sweet 16 duel with No. 2 seed Tennessee on Friday.
Follow along here for a recap and highlights from the March Madness game. What Illinois coach and players said
Illinois vs. Kentucky final score in March Madness bracket
Tomislav Ivisic turnaround in the paint and-1 -- missed the free throw to fuel an 8-2 run and close to within 74-66. Then Boswell hits a jumper to get it within 74-68 with 96 seconds left. Illinois has scratched within 10 at 74-64, but the clock is down to 3:21 left and Tomislav Ivisic is playing with 4 fouls. Kentucky in control by 14 as the under-8 media break arrives. Wildcats are shooting 53.7% from the field in the game -- and 66% in the second half. Kentucky blows it right back out as Koby Brea hits a jumper and a pair of 3s in a span of 59 seconds for 68-53 with 10:14 left. Brea adds another jumper for 10 straight points. He is 10 of 15 from the field for a game-high 23 points. Down by 16, the Illini get 3s from Tomislav Ivisic and Kasparas Jakucionis to cut the Kentucky lead down to 60-51 with 11:46 left in the second half. Kentucky, timeout. Kentucky comes blazing out of the gate in the second half to build a 53-39 lead off a 16-7 run in first five minutes. Amari Williams with a pair of dunks 90 seconds apart for Kentucky. Illinois turning over the ball again. Kylan Boswell has 10 points on 5 of 7 shooting and is keeping the Illini close. Illinois' big starting trio of Will Riley, Kasparas Jakucionis and Tomislav Ivisic combined 5 of 16 shooting, 18 points, 7 turnovers. Illinois with 8 turnovers in the game's first 12 minutes, and it's helped Kentucky build a 25-15 lead with 8 minutes left in the first half. Illinois turns it over on consecutive possessions, and has four turnovers in the game's first five minutes. Kentucky cashes in on a 3 from Koby Brea for a 9-0 run to a 13-5 lead with 14:32 left first half. Timeout, Illinois. A 3-pointer from freshman Collin Chandler sends the Wildcats to the break with a 9-5 lead. The llinois Fighting Illini will tip off vs. the Kentucky Wildcats on CBS. Streaming options include the NCAA March Madness Live app and
Fubo , which offers a free trial. Announcers for the game are Kevin Harlan, Dan Bonner and Stan Van Gundy, with Lauren Shehadi reporting from the sidelines.
Illinois vs Kentucky start time, TV channel, location in NCAA bracket
Illinois and Kentucky will play at 4:15 p.m. at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Illinois vs Kentucky odds in March Madness
Betting information via BetMGM as of Saturday night. Illinois 91, Kentucky 86: Don't take your eyes off the screen too much this Sunday or you're bound to miss a basket. Expect a high-scoring showdown here between two high-ceiling teams. Brad Underwood knows how to coach in the tournament — and if Illinois shoots like it did Friday, the Illini move on to the Sweet 16.
Illinois vs Kentucky stats
Illinois vs Kentucky championship odds
Illinois basketball schedule 2024-25
Kentucky basketball schedule 2024-25
