Illinois Upsets Tennessee in Music City Madness Showdown

No. 14 Illinois defeated No. 13 Tennessee 75-62 in the Music City Madness showdown held in Nashville, Tennessee. Tomislav Ivisic and Keaton Wagler each scored 16 points for Illinois, who improved to 7-2 on the season.

This victory marked a significant moment for coach Brad Underwood, as it was his first win against Tennessee in three attempts. The Fighting Illini had come off an eight-day break and were looking to end a five-game losing streak on neutral courts against ranked opponents.

Leading scorer Kylan Boswell, who had an early scare with a left shoulder injury, managed to contribute 15 points. David Mirkovic also added 10 points for Illinois. Tennessee, now at 7-3, has lost three consecutive games after a successful 30-8 season last year, which included a trip to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie led the Vols with 15 points, while freshman Nate Ament was held to just nine points, below his average of 17.1 points per game. The Vols had their last lead at 49-48 thanks to a dunk from J.P.

Estrella, but Illinois responded with a 15-3 run, taking control of the game. The Fighting Illini's lead peaked at 14 points in the final minutes. Notably, Ivisic scored the last 10 points of the first half, helping Illinois maintain pressure throughout.

Up next for Illinois is a matchup against Ohio State on Tuesday night, while Tennessee will host No. 6 Louisville on December 16.