In a thrilling second-round matchup of the Big Ten Tournament held on Thursday night, the 24th-ranked Fighting Illini secured a 106-94 victory over the 15th-seeded Iowa, thanks to Kylan Boswell’s career-high 24 points. Illinois showcased an impressive team effort with four other players scoring in double figures in Indianapolis.
Contributing to the victory, Tre White scored 22 points while Tomislav Ivisic chipped in with 19 points, along with 10 rebounds and six assists. Illinois, boasting a 21-11 record, is on a four-game winning streak and is set to face No. 11 Maryland in the upcoming quarterfinals.
The game took a dramatic turn when Iowa’s coach, Fran McCaffery, was ejected from the sidelines. His removal came after he received two technical fouls for leaving the coach’s box to argue with officials. During his absence, Iowa guard Payton Sandfort made a notable impact by matching the single-game Big Ten tournament record for three-pointers, scoring eight and tying his personal best with 30 points. Josh Dix followed closely behind with 21 points.
At the moment of McCaffery’s ejection, Iowa (17-16) trailed 69-60. The Illini capitalized on this situation by sinking all four resultant free throws, maintaining their momentum as Iowa struggled to reduce the deficit back into single digits.
**Takeaways:**
Iowa demonstrated offensive prowess, yet the frantic pace eventually took its toll in their second consecutive night of competition. Illinois, meanwhile, dazzled with their sharpshooting, completing nearly 55% of their field goals—a strong performance ignited post-defeat against Duke.
**Key Moment:**
The defining juncture of the match was undoubtedly McCaffery’s ejection. Although Iowa briefly rallied after the subsequent free throws, their push quickly petered out, ultimately failing to recover from another substantial deficit.
**Key Stat:**
While Sandfort dominated with a standout game, Illinois countered effectively by hitting 12 out of 26 three-point attempts.
**Up Next:**
Illinois aims to prolong its winning stretch in the face-off with the Terrapins. As for Iowa, they may be looking at a bid in the NIT or concluding their season without Coach McCaffery until the next one begins.
