The Illini won 75-69 on Sunday for their third road win of the season. Thanks to the crowd, the Hawkeyes had a late surge that cut the lead to four points, but Illinois stayed calm and composed for an impressive win.

“Road wins are like gold in this league,” head coach Brad Underwood said.

Away wins in the Big Ten are important, and Illinois already has three road wins in conference play with wins over Ohio State, Penn State and Iowa State. That total is already more than half of the Illini’s road win mark of five from last season.

Illinois’ perfect road record is tied with Nebraska, Michigan and Purdue. All four teams are split as conference title contenders and will continue to be tough to beat regardless of where the games are played.

The Illini will have a chance to add to their road win total Wednesday night against in-state rival Northwestern. The Wildcats have defeated Illinois in their home building each of the past three seasons and will be looking for another upset to win their fourth straight title.

Illinois looks to be the better matchup this year, but anything can happen in the rivalry games. Northwestern is currently 0-5 in Big Ten play and has lost seven straight against top-major opponents.

Illinois heads into Evanston as a 9.5-point favorite and will look to maintain its pace at the top of the conference with a road win.