Andrej Stojakovic scored 24 points to lead five players in double figures as No. 13 Illinois fought off gallant UT Rio Grande Valley for an 87-74 nonconference win on Monday night in Champaign, Ill.

Mihailo Petrovic contributed 12 points off the bench while Zvonimir Ivisic, David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic added 10 points apiece as the Illini (6-1) tuned up for a Black Friday matinee against No. 5 UConn at Madison Square Garden. Illinois made just 8 of 30 3-point attempts (26.7%).

Kye Dickson paced UTRGV (2-4) with 21 points and five rebounds while Filip Brankovic added 15 points and five rebounds as the Vaqueros clung within 11 points until the final six minutes.

The teams swapped the lead seven times in the first eight minutes as UTRGV started hot from 3-point range. The Vaqueros bu

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