Illinois held the lead for nearly 30 minutes of game time, but a late rally by Missouri took the game down to the wire.

Braggin' Rights aren't supposed to come easy. And so it went Sunday in St. Louis, where Illinois endured a virtual bloodletting – a total of 43 fouls called, as well as countless elbows, body blocks and throwdowns – to outmuscle Missouri 80-77 in the team's annual Braggin' Rights border-rivalry game.

A holiday-filled week started early for Illinois (8-3) as they defeated Missouri (10-2) in the 2024 edition of Braggin’ Rights.

The Missouri Tigers had two chances Sunday with the shot clock turned off in a one-possession game. Both ended the same way: missed 3-point attempts that allowed the Illinois Fighting Illini to hold on for an 80-77 victory in the annual Braggin’ Rights game at Enterprise Center.

Freshman guard Kasparas Jakucionis hit a 12-foot fadeaway with 28 seconds left to snap the game's final tie as Illinois claimed an 80-77 victory over Missouri in the Braggin' Rights

Despite Mizzou men's basketball's 80-77 Braggin' Rights loss to Illinois on Sunday afternoon, the rivalry feeling was restored to a showdown that had lost its flair in the previous three

Kasparas Jakucionis drains a nice bucket late to give Illinois a 79-77 lead over Missouri.