Kasparas Jakucionis' step-back triple with 39 seconds to play broke a 79-79 tie, as the Illini (20-11, 12-8 B1G) stormed back from a 10-point second-half deficit to defeat No. 18 Purdue (21-10, 13-7) on Senior Night at sold-out State Farm Center. The clutch triple was part of a 13-1 run over the final 2 minutes in Illinois' 88-80 victory to close out the regular season.

All five Illini starters posted double-figures scoring, led by 22 points from Will Riley and 20 from Tre White. Jakucionis' triple gave him 10 in the game, while Kylan Boswell added 15, Tomislav Ivisic scored 14, and Ben Humrichous chipped in with seven points, including the three-pointer that sparked the Illini's closing run.

Riley shot 7-for-14 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers and a 6-for-6 showing from the free-throw line. White tied a career-high mark with three 3-pointers (3-5), and shot 7-for-9 overall, including a hot start that saw him open the game by scoring seven of the Illini's first nine points.

After a back-and-forth period that saw the Illini trail 42-40 at halftime, the Orange and Blue fell behind, 63-53, with 11:30 left to play following a 3-pointer from Purdue's Braden Smith.

Riley's jumper on the next Illinois possession sparked a key 17-1 stretch for the Illini. The run was capped by back-to-back 3-pointers from Humrichous and White, and gave the Illini a 70-66 edge with 6:44 to play. It was the Illini's first lead since 17-15 in the first half.

Purdue responded by scoring 13 of the game's next 18 points to stake to a 79-75 lead, but Trey Kaufman-Renn's bucket at the 2:18 mark – which gave him a game-high 29 – was the final field goal scored by the Boilermakers before the Illini's game-winning flurry. 

Illinois now turns its attention to the postseason. The Illini are slated to open the Big Ten Championship next Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.