GREENVILLE, SC — And we’re off.
David Mirkovic (29 points, 17 rebounds) and No. 3 Illinois won a NCAA Tournament game for the third consecutive season in a 105-70 victory over Fran McCaffery and No. 14 Penn on Thursday night in Greenville, South Carolina. The Fighting Illini (25-8) now book a date with No. 11 VCU, after the Rams came from 19 points behind to defeat No. 6 UNC.
After the Quakers (18-12) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, Illinois had few problems with their old arch nemesis and the Ivy
League champs. It’s the first time in program history Illinois scored more than 100 points in a NCAA Tournament game.
Mirkovic was dominant from the jump in his NCAA Tournament debut, recording his eighth double-double of the season in the first half alone (17 points, 10 redounds). A menace on the boards — especially the offensive glass — Penn had no answers for the big freshman, even while Illinois couldn’t get many three-pointers to fall.
It was Mirkovic’s fellow freshman star — Big Ten Freshman of the Year Keaton Wagler — who paced the Illini at times, proving the big lights of the Big Dance aren’t too bright. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting.
Penn guard TJ Power hit a three at the first-half buzzer to cut Illinois’ lead to 10, but he couldn’t replicate his Ivy League title game performance when he lit up Yale for 44 points. Power finished Thursday with six points (all in the first half) as Kylan Boswell made his life miserable on the offensive end.
The Quakers played without leading scorer Ethan Roberts (concussion), but got a monster performance from Michael Zanoni (20 points on 9-of-18 shooting).
But that wasn’t enough to keep McCaffery — the former Iowa head coach — and his team in the game against a potential Final Four contender.
Where Illinois won the game was its physicality, dominating the offensive glass and forcing the Quakers into a whole lot of fouls. Penn made only one free throw.
We’ll see if that’s a strategy that can work against the Rams.
TWEET OF THE GAME
UP NEXT
Saturday against VCU.
Tip is 6:50 p.m. CT on CBS.
Sweet 16, anyone?
