Wagler’s Stunning 46-Point Explosion Stuns No. 4 Purdue in Epic Illinois Showdown

Oh man, what a showdown! Saturday night in West Lafayette had me on the edge of my seat as No. 11 Illinois pulled off a gutsy 88-82 win over No. 4 Purdue, all thanks to the sensational Keaton Wagler lighting it up with a career-high 46 points. This freshman guard didn’t just show up—he dominated, draining nine of eleven triples and hitting nearly all his free throws while his teammates chipped in just enough to keep the pressure on. Meanwhile, Purdue’s Braden Smith fought hard, tossing 27 points and dishing out a dozen assists, but it just wasn’t enough to stem the Illinois tide. It’s one of those games where you can’t help but marvel at the relentless pace and the clutch moments—Wagler’s performance will echo in Big Ten circles for a good while! As always, injuries are lurking in the background with Illinois missing some key personnel, but that only adds to the triumph here. Trust me, this contest is a must-watch for any hoops devotee looking for pure excitement inside the paint and beyond the arc. LEARN MORE

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Keaton Wagler scored a career-high 46 points, making nine 3-pointers, as No. 11 Illinois beat No. 4 Purdue 88-82 on Saturday.

Wagler, a freshman guard, shot 13 for 17 overall, 9 of 11 from 3-point range and 11 of 13 on free throws. David Mirkovic added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Illini (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten).

Braden Smith led the Boilermakers (17-3, 7-2) with 27 points and 12 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn added 12 points for Purdue, which lost its second consecutive game.

The Illini hit 18 of 38 3-pointers while Purdue was 7 of 19.

Wagler had 24 of the Illini’s 39 first-half points, including the first 14.

Smith’s 3-pointer cut Illinois’ lead to 82-80 with 45 seconds left. Wagler answered with a jumper with 18 seconds left, and after Smith made two from the line to again make it a two-point game, Wagler hit two to make it 86-82 with 9.3 seconds left. Purdue then turned the ball over.

Purdue shot 63% percent in the opening half compared to 43% for Illinois. However, the Illini countered that by hitting 9 of 21 3-pointers while the Boilermakers were 3 of 8 on 3-point shots.

Illinois played without reserve center Jason Jakstys, who was out with an injury. Illini coach Brad Underwood previously announced guard Kyle Boswell, who averages 14.3 points, will be out at least a month with a fracture bone in his right hand.