Philon’s 24 Points Propel No. 11 Alabama Past No. 8 Illinois in Stunning 90-86 Upset—What Fueled the Razorbacks’ Comeback?

There’s nothing quite like a nail-biter at the United Center to get your heart racing, and last night’s showdown between No. 11 Alabama and No. 8 Illinois delivered just that. Labaron Philon lit up the scoreboard with 24 points, including three clutch 3-pointers, steering the Crimson Tide to a gritty 90-86 triumph. After a tough loss to Purdue, Alabama’s resilience was on full display — holding off a relentless Illinois squad led by Andrej Stojakovic’s 26 points and Kylan Boswell’s fiery 22. The final minutes were pure edge-of-your-seat drama, with back-and-forth plays, free throws under pressure, and a late surge that sealed the deal for Alabama. If you love intensity and top-tier college hoops, this contest had it all — hustle, heart, and moments that’ll stick with you. LEARN MORE

CHICAGO — Labaron Philon scored 24 points, and No. 11 Alabama beat eighth-ranked Illinois 90-86 at the United Center on Wednesday night.

Philon made three 3-pointers and had five assists. Taylor Bol Bowen scored 12 and Aden Holloway finished with 11 points, helping the Crimson Tide (3-1) squeeze out a tight win in their third straight game against a top-10 team. They bounced back from a loss to Purdue that came on the heels of a victory over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, though they sure got all they could handle in this one.

Andrej Stojakovic led Illinois (4-1) with 26 points, and Kylan Boswell had 22.

Alabama was clinging to a 79-76 lead when Philon pulled up for a 3 with 1:15 remaining, but Illinois stayed in it, with Boswell responding with a three-point play.

After Philon made a jumper in the paint, Boswell broke for a layup that cut it to 84-81 with 39 seconds remaining. Alabama’s Amari Allen got trapped on the inbounds, leading to a timeout, and then hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it a four-point game with 27 seconds left.

It was 85-82 with 12 seconds remaining when Keitenn Bristow made two free throws for Alabama. Ben Humrichous nailed a 3 for Illinois with eight seconds left, but the Crimson Tide hung on. Houston Mallette sealed the win with two foul shots in the final seconds.

The Illini, who played at least one regular-season game at the United Center from 1994 through 2018, were making their first appearance at the arena since the 2023 Big Ten Tournament. They got the Bulls treatment during pregame introductions, with “Sirius” by the Alan Parsons Project blasting through the arena.

The Illini had the crowd roaring midway through the half when Humrichous blocked a layup by Philon and Stojakovic, the son of former Sacramento Kings star Peja Stojakovic, threw down a thunderous dunk on the break.