Illinois Fighting Illini 79, Northwestern Wildcats 68
NCAA Men's · 2026-01-14 · Winner: Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini defeated Northwestern Wildcats 79–68 on 2026-01-14 in NCAA Men's play, a 11-point result. A 8-0 road team run ending at H1 2:31 swung win probability 68% → 31%. Below is the quarter-by-quarter linescore, a win-probability timeline, and an automated breakdown of why Northwestern Wildcats lost.
Linescore
| H1 | H2 | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 38 | 41 | 79 |
| Northwestern Wildcats | 33 | 35 | 68 |
Win probability
Turning point — A 8-0 road team run ending at H1 2:31 swung win probability 68% → 31%.
Why Northwestern Wildcats lost
- Lost H2 35-41 - the worst stretch of the game.
- Gave up a 9-0 run ending at H2 9:43 (win probability 22% → 0% for the home side).
- Shot 47.3% eFG vs a 51.7% season average - a cold night.
Scoring runs
| Team | Run | Ends | Win-prob swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Wildcats | 9–0 | H1 14:31 | 40% → 72% |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 8–0 | H1 2:31 | 68% → 31% |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 9–0 | H2 9:43 | 22% → 0% |
| Northwestern Wildcats | 10–0 | H2 7:50 | 0% → 17% |