Illinois Advances, Eliminates Iowa in Big Ten Tournament Upset

INDIANAPOLIS — Kylan Boswell led the 24th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini to a 106-94 victory over the 15th-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in a second-round Big Ten Tournament game on Thursday night, marking Illinois’ fourth consecutive win.

Boswell, who scored a career-high 24 points, was backed by Tre White with 22 points and Tomislav Ivisic, who contributed 19 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. With this win, Illinois improves its record to 21-11 and advances to face No. 11 Maryland in the third quarterfinal game on Friday.

The game took a dramatic turn when Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery was ejected with 13:33 remaining after receiving two technical fouls for leaving the coach’s box to argue with officials. Iowa guard Payton Sandfort went on to tie the league’s single-game tournament record for 3-pointers, hitting eight shots from beyond the arc and finishing with a career-high 30 points.

“It was a wild game, and we fought really hard,” Sandfort said. “But we just couldn’t overcome the momentum swing after Coach Mac got ejected.”

Despite trailing 69-60 at the time of McCaffery’s exit, Iowa managed to cut the deficit to single digits after making four straight free throws. However, Illinois quickly regained control.

“We executed our game plan, and it was important to stay aggressive,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “Our shooting percentage was a big factor.”

Illinois shot nearly 55% from the field, making 12 of 26 attempts from 3-point range. McCaffery’s absence was felt as Iowa struggled to match Illinois’ pace, particularly after playing back-to-back games.

“We can put points on the board, but we need to tighten up our defense, especially in these high-pressure situations,” McCaffery noted before his ejection.

As the season nears its conclusion, Iowa’s record stands at 17-16, and speculation arises about their postseason prospects, potentially heading toward the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Moving forward, Illinois hopes to extend their winning streak against Maryland, while Iowa looks to regroup after a tough loss in the tournament.