Illinois Defeats Iowa, Advances to Final Four

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The Illinois Fighting Illini are heading to the Final Four after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 71-59 in an Elite Eight matchup played Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Houston. Iowa jumped out to an early lead, but Illinois rallied in the second half, taking control of the game and closing it out strongly to secure the victory and advance to the national semifinals.

Why it matters

This marks Illinois' first Final Four appearance since 2005, when they lost to North Carolina in the national title game. The Illini's dominant tournament run so far, with all four of their wins coming by double digits, has them positioned as a serious contender for the national championship.

The details

Iowa started the game on a 12-2 run, but play was briefly halted in the first half when the arena buzzer malfunctioned, stopping play for 11 minutes. After the delay, Iowa regained momentum and took a 32-28 lead into halftime. However, Illinois rallied in the second half, taking their first lead after David Mirkovic completed an and-1 play. A 10-1 run, finished with an alley-oop from Zvonimir Ivisic, helped Illinois build an eight-point advantage. Iowa struggled offensively in the second half, going 1-of-13 from the floor after briefly regaining the lead. Illinois closed out the game making seven of their last nine shots.

• The game was played on Saturday, March 29, 2026.
• Play was stopped for 11 minutes in the first half due to a malfunctioning arena buzzer.

What’s next

Illinois will face either Duke or UConn in the Final Four next weekend in Indianapolis.