In a commanding performance, Maryland defeated No. 17 Illinois 91-70, with Julian Reese leading the charge by scoring 27 points and grabbing 17 rebounds.

Maryland dominated the game, particularly in the paint, outscoring Illinois 62-34 and securing a 40-36 advantage in rebounds.

The Fighting Illini were hampered by the absence of their leading rebounder and second scorer, 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivisic, who was sidelined due to strep throat.

Additionally, Illinois committed 16 turnovers that allowed Maryland to score 27 points off those mistakes.

Maryland also saw strong performances from Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Selton Miguel, who contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Looking ahead, Illinois will host Northwestern on January 28, 2025, while Maryland is set to face Indiana on the same day.

Despite the loss, Illinois had notable contributions from Kasparas Jakucionis, who scored 21 points and provided seven assists, while Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Kylan Boswell added 15 and 14 points, respectively.

Illinois struggled offensively, particularly with their three-point shooting, making only 6 out of 28 attempts against Maryland.

This victory improved Maryland's record to 15-5 overall and 5-4 in the Big Ten, marking their fourth win in five games.

Conversely, Illinois fell to 13-6 overall and 5-4 in the conference, suffering their third loss in four games and experiencing back-to-back losses for the first time in two seasons.