Stojakovic scores 24 points, No. 13 Illinois beats Texas Rio Grande Valley 87-73
AP
Nov 25, 2025
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) Andrej Stojakovic scored 24 points for his fourth 20-point performance in five games, leading No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini to an 87-73 victory over Texas Rio Grande Valley on Monday night.
Mihailo Petrovic had 12 points, and David Mirkovic and twins Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic each added 10 for the Illini (6-1). They are 6-0 at home.
Illinois has started the season scoring 80 or more points in all seven games. The Illini haven’t done that since the 1988-89 season, when the Flyin’ Illini, who lost in the national semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, opened with 12 consecutive games of 80 or more points.
Kye Dickson scored 21 points and Filip Brankovic had 15 for the Rio Grande Valley (2-4), which trailed 42-31 at halftime and cut the Illinois lead to six points twice early in the second half, but didn't get any closer.
Stojakovic scored 14 points in the first half.
Illinois, the top rebounding team in the Big Ten, outrebounded the Vaqueros. 44-32. Keaton Wagler and Ben Humrichous each had eight rebounds, Zvonimir Ivisic had seven, and Stojakovic had six.
The Vaqueros went 16-15 last seasonr. It was their first winning season since 2018-19.
Rio Grande Valley is a second-year member of the Southland Conference after spending 11 years in the Western Athletic Conference.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood went 53-1 against Southland Conference teams while winning three regular-season and three conference tournament championships from 2013-2016, when he at Stephen F. Austin.
Texas Rio Grande Valley: At Stephen F. Austin on Dec. 3.
Illinois: Vs. No. 5 UConn at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday.
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1st Half
UTRGV
Vaqueros
31
ILL
Fighting Illini
42
Time
Team
Play
Score
20:00
Koree Cotton vs. Tomislav Ivisic (David Mirkovic gains possession)
19:38
+2
Andrej Stojakovic makes two point layup
0-2
19:28
Koree Cotton misses three point jump shot
19:26
Filip Brankovic offensive rebound
19:14
+3
Filip Brankovic makes three point jump shot (Always Wright assists)
3-2
18:57
Kylan Boswell misses three point jump shot
18:55
Marvin McGhee III defensive rebound
18:39
Always Wright misses three point jump shot
18:36
Kye Dickson personal foul (Tomislav Ivisic draws the foul)
18:23
David Mirkovic turnover (traveling)
18:10
Koree Cotton misses two point layup
18:08
David Mirkovic defensive rebound
18:00
Andrej Stojakovic turnover (bad pass) (Always Wright steals)
17:51
Filip Brankovic misses three point jump shot
17:49
Kye Dickson offensive rebound
17:46
+2
Kye Dickson makes two point layup
5-2
17:37
Koree Cotton personal foul
17:26
+3
Tomislav Ivisic makes three point jump shot (Kylan Boswell assists)
5-5
17:10
+3
Kye Dickson makes three point jump shot (Marvin McGhee III assists)
8-5
17:01
+2
Andrej Stojakovic makes two point layup
8-7
16:41
Koree Cotton misses two point jump shot
16:39
Koree Cotton offensive rebound
16:39
Koree Cotton misses two point jump shot
16:37
Ben Humrichous defensive rebound
16:19
+3
Andrej Stojakovic makes three point jump shot (Ben Humrichous assists)
8-10
15:51
Kye Dickson misses three point jump shot
15:49
Fighting Illini defensive rebound
15:49
TV timeout
15:35
Keaton Wagler misses three point jump shot
15:33
Kye Dickson defensive rebound
15:08
+3
Always Wright makes three point jump shot
11-10
14:41
Tomislav Ivisic misses three point jump shot
14:39
Keaton Wagler offensive rebound
14:39
Keaton Wagler misses two point layup
14:37
Zae Blake defensive rebound
14:16
Zae Blake misses two point jump shot
14:14
Ben Humrichous defensive rebound
13:51
+2
Brandon Lee makes two point layup (David Mirkovic assists)
11-12
13:27
+2
Jaylen Washington makes two point layup
13-12
13:16
David Mirkovic turnover (lost ball) (Dane Christensen steals)
13:11
Dane Christensen misses two point layup
13:09
Julien Gomez offensive rebound
12:50
Dane Christensen misses three point jump shot
12:48
Ben Humrichous defensive rebound
12:44
+2
Brandon Lee makes two point layup (David Mirkovic assists)
13-14
12:24
+2
Jaylen Washington makes two point jump shot
15-14
12:07
Brandon Lee misses two point jump shot
12:05
Zvonimir Ivisic offensive rebound
12:02
Kylan Boswell offensive foul (Julien Gomez draws the foul)
12:02
Kylan Boswell turnover (offensive foul)
11:35
Jaylen Washington misses two point jump shot
11:33
Julien Gomez offensive rebound
11:31
Jump ball. (Vaqueros gains possession)
11:31
TV timeout
11:30
Marvin McGhee III misses three point jump shot
11:28
Zvonimir Ivisic defensive rebound
11:11
Keaton Wagler misses two point jump shot
11:09
Marvin McGhee III defensive rebound
10:55
David Mirkovic personal foul (Filip Brankovic draws the foul)
10:49
Jake Davis personal foul
10:40
+3
Marvin McGhee III makes three point jump shot (Koree Cotton assists)
18-14
10:24
Keaton Wagler misses three point jump shot
10:22
David Mirkovic offensive rebound
10:20
+2
David Mirkovic makes two point layup
18-16
9:58
Filip Brankovic offensive foul (Andrej Stojakovic draws the foul)
9:58
Filip Brankovic turnover (offensive foul)
9:33
+3
Keaton Wagler makes three point jump shot (Kylan Boswell assists)
18-19
9:13
Zvonimir Ivisic blocks Filip Brankovic's two point jump shot
9:11
Keaton Wagler defensive rebound
9:06
+2
Andrej Stojakovic makes two point jump shot
18-21
9:06
Koree Cotton shooting foul (Andrej Stojakovic draws the foul)
9:06
+1
Andrej Stojakovic makes regular free throw 1 of 1
18-22
8:51
Marvin McGhee III misses three point jump shot
8:49
Tomislav Ivisic defensive rebound
8:47
Julien Gomez personal foul (Tomislav Ivisic draws the foul)
8:33
Tomislav Ivisic misses three point jump shot
8:31
Andrej Stojakovic offensive rebound
8:24
Always Wright shooting foul (Kylan Boswell draws the foul)