US EditionKeaton Wagler's career effort helps No. 11 Illinois outlast No. 4 Purdue
- Keaton Wagler, an Illinois freshman guard, scored a career-high 46 points and made nine 3-pointers as Illinois beat fourth-ranked Purdue Boilermakers 88-82 in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Jan. 24, 2026.
- Hitting 18 of 38 3-pointers, Illinois fueled a late-game 13-0 run and made two 3s in the final 43 seconds to flip momentum.
- Purdue's Braden Smith finished with 27 points and 12 assists after briefly exiting due to an ankle incident, while Purdue Boilermakers shot 63% in the opening half compared to Illinois' 43%.
- The loss dropped Purdue Boilermakers to fifth in the Big Ten after a second straight defeat, with Trey Kaufman-Renn scoring 12 points and David Mirkovic adding 12 points and eight rebounds for Illinois Illini.
- Up next Illinois hosts Washington on Thursday while Purdue Boilermakers visit Indiana on Tuesday, and Braden Smith needs 133 more assists to tie Bobby Hurley's 1,076.3 record.
48 Articles
48 Articles
Rockdale Citizen & Newton Citizen
Top 25 roundup: Keaton Wagler erupts, No. 11 Illinois bests No. 4 Purdue
Keaton Wagler poured in a career-high 46 points and his teammates drilled four consecutive 3-pointers down the stretch to rally No. 11 Illinois to a Big Ten victory over No. 4 Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind., on Saturday afternoon
Freshman Keaton Wagler’s record 46-point game has No. 11 Illinois thinking big after 88-82 upset of No. 4 Purdue
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — When Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler walked into the visiting locker room at Purdue on Saturday night, he was met with a blinding spray of water from his ecstatic teammates. Wagler said he was hyped. But Illini forward David Mirković swears even then — as Wagler celebrated the greatest individual performance by an opponent at Mackey Arena — that the guard was calm and collected. “He was just cold,” Mirković said. “That’s w…
Wagler makes history as Illini Men’s basketball upsets Purdue while women’s team falls short to Nebraska - IPM Newsroom
Illinois Newsroom - Freshman Guard Keaton Wagler helped the Fighting Illini men's basketball team pull off an 88-82 upset against the Boilermakers Saturday. The women made a comeback attempt but failed catch up to Nebraska, losing 81-75. The post Wagler makes history as Illini Men’s basketball upsets Purdue while women’s team falls short to Nebraska appeared first on IPM Newsroom.
Freshman steals show to lead Illinois past Purdue basketball in winless week
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