Illinois Fighting Illini 73, Penn State Nittany Lions 65
NCAA Men's · 2026-01-03 · Winner: Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini defeated Penn State Nittany Lions 73–65 on 2026-01-03 in NCAA Men's play, a 8-point result. A 10-0 road team run ending at H1 8:51 swung win probability 45% → 11%. Below is the quarter-by-quarter linescore, a win-probability timeline, and an automated breakdown of why Penn State Nittany Lions lost.
Linescore
| H1 | H2 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 40 | 33 | 73 |
| Penn State Nittany Lions | 26 | 39 | 65 |
Win probability
Turning point — A 10-0 road team run ending at H1 8:51 swung win probability 45% → 11%.
Why Penn State Nittany Lions lost
- Lost H1 26-40 - the worst stretch of the game.
- Gave up a 10-0 run ending at H1 8:51 (win probability 45% → 11% for the home side).
- Shot 40.6% eFG vs a 53.0% season average - a cold night.
- Outscored 23-9 at the free-throw line.
Scoring runs
| Team | Run | Ends | Win-prob swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 10–0 | H1 8:51 | 45% → 11% |