David Mirkovic has 19 points, 14 rebounds to lead No. 17 Illinois to a 113-55 win over Jackson State

Byline: Steve Stein

David Mirkovic has 19 points, 14 rebounds to lead No. 17 Illinois to a 113-55 win over Jackson State | iNFOnews.ca

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — David Mirkovic scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds on Monday night as No. 17 Illinois opened the season with a 113-55 win over Jackson State.

Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro, is one of four new international players on the Illinois roster this season.

Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic each had 21 points, Keaton Wagler had 18, and Jake Davis had 13 for Illinois, which was the highest scoring team in the Big Ten last year. Zvonimir Ivisic had nine rebounds.

Devin Ree scored 19 points and Daeshun Ruffin added 12 for the Tigers, who shot 30.6% from the field. Ruffin was the top scorer in the Southwestern Athletic Conference last season and the conference’s pre-season player of the year.

The Illini made 17 3-pointers and outrebounded Jackson State 61-19 despite missing four players with injuries — Brandon Lee, Andrej Stojakovic, Ty Rodgers and Mihailo Petrovic.

A 17-point run early in the game gave Illinois a 60-27 halftime lead. The Illini had 10 3-pointers in the first half.

Jackson State is playing nine of its first 10 games on the road. During the stretch, the Tigers will face seven teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last season and five preseason Top 25 teams, including No. 2 Houston.

Up next

Jackson State: At No. 11 Louisville on Thursday night.

Illinois: Home vs. Florida Gulf Coast on Friday night.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

David Mirkovic has 19 points, 14 rebounds to lead No. 17 Illinois to a 113-55 win over Jackson State | iNFOnews.ca
Illinois’ David Mirkovic advances the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Jackson State Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
David Mirkovic has 19 points, 14 rebounds to lead No. 17 Illinois to a 113-55 win over Jackson State | iNFOnews.ca
Jackson State’s Deyan Kolev (9) and Tamarion Hoover (0) battle for a rebound with Illinois’ Ben Humrichous during an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
David Mirkovic has 19 points, 14 rebounds to lead No. 17 Illinois to a 113-55 win over Jackson State | iNFOnews.ca
Illinois’ Kylan Boswell drives against Jackson State’s Jalen Tatum during an NCAA college basketball game, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)
David Mirkovic has 19 points, 14 rebounds to lead No. 17 Illinois to a 113-55 win over Jackson State | iNFOnews.ca
Jackson State’s Devin Ree (4) shoots between Illinois’ Blake Fagbemi (8) and Keaton Wagler, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Craig Pessman)

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

Steve Stein

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles