INDIANAPOLIS — The 15th-seeded University of Iowa men’s basketball team fell to seventh-seeded and 24th-ranked Illinois, 106-94, on Thursday evening at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes move to 17-16 on the season.
Junior Josh Dix gave Iowa its first lead of the game with a 3-pointer just a few minutes into the game. For seven minutes of game time the score remained within a single possession. The span featured eight ties and 10 lead changes before the Illini grabbed a 28-24 lead behind a 7-0 run with just under nine minutes remaining in the first half.
The Hawkeyes would respond with an 8-2 run behind back-to-back 3-pointers from senior Payton Sandfort to retake the lead, 32-30. Illinois built a 47-39 lead to mark the largest deficit of the half with two minutes remaining. Sophomore Pryce Sandfort ended the Illini run before Payton Sandfort’s 3-pointer at the buzzer made it 49-45 at the break.
The Hawkeyes offense was in full force in the first half, shooting 19-of-31 (61.3 percent) from the field and 6-of-10 (60 percent) from beyond the arc. Payton Sandfort poured in 14 first half points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from deep. Dix added 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, while graduate Drew Thelwell tallied eight points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field. Iowa was outrebounded, 19-11, in the first half and the Illini turned those rebounds into 10 second-chance points.
Illinois created a 59-50 advantage at the 16:35 mark of the second half and the Hawkeyes struggled to cut into the Illinois lead for the remainder of the game. After trailing by 16 (92-76) with 7 ½ minutes remaining, the Hawkeyes cut the deficit to nine with just under five minutes remaining, but Illinois responded.
Payton Sandfort led Iowa with 30 points, tying a career high. His eight 3-pointers tied Keegan Murray for the most 3s in a Big Ten Tournament game and tied for third most in a game in program history. Dix tallied 21 points on 10-of-17 from the field, while Thelwell added 12 points and a team-high six assists. Pryce Sandfort rounded out Hawkeyes in double digits with 11 points and four rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting.
The Hawkeyes shot 39-of-71 (54.9 percent) from the field and 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) from deep. The bench added 25 point and Iowa scored 44 points in the paint. The Illini had 10 turnovers that the Hawkeyes turned into 17 points. Iowa was outrebounded, 41-24.
