HOUSTON (AP) — Freshman Keaton Wagler delivered an impressive 25-point performance as Illinois brought an end to Iowa’s surprising March Madness run. Dominating play in the frontcourt, the Illini secured a 71–59 victory over the Hawkeyes on Saturday, earning their first Final Four appearance since 2005.
This marks Illinois’ sixth trip to the Final Four, though the program is still in search of its first national championship. They will take on either Duke or UConn next weekend in Indianapolis.
With a height advantage, Illinois (28–8) controlled the boards in the South Region final, outrebounding Iowa 38–21. David Mirkovic was a key contributor with 12 rebounds.
Iowa vs Illinois: Game Preview, Stats & Predictions
Head coach Brad Underwood’s focus on recruiting talent from Eastern Europe has proven effective in this tournament. Croatian 7-foot-1 center Tomislav Ivisic and his 7-foot-2 twin brother Zvonimir have both made significant impacts throughout Iowa vs Illinois March.
Andrej Stojakovic added 17 points for third-seeded Illinois. Born in Greece and the son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, he had his father watching proudly as Illinois advanced. Wagler’s parents, who first met while playing junior college basketball in Kansas, were also in attendance, cheering enthusiastically as their son earned regional MVP honors….Read more
For ninth-seeded Iowa (24–13), Bennett Stirtz led the effort with 24 points. The Hawkeyes had an impressive tournament run under first-year head coach Ben McCollum, a four-time Division II national champion at Northwest Missouri State. Stirtz previously played for McCollum there, then followed him to Drake and eventually to Iowa Iowa vs Illinois.
Late in the game, Illinois went on an 8–0 run — highlighted by four points from Tomislav Ivisic — to take a 58–51 lead with under five minutes remaining. Iowa responded with a free throw from Isaia Howard, but a lob dunk by Zvonimir Ivisic extended the lead to 60–52 with about four minutes left.
Sage Tate kept Iowa in contention by converting four straight free throws, cutting the deficit to four points with two minutes remaining. However, Stojakovic answered with a layup, and Wagler sealed the outcome with two free throws, pushing the score to 67–59….Read more
This was Iowa vs Illinois the second matchup between the Big Ten rivals this season, with Illinois also winning the first meeting 75–69 on January 11.
Although Illinois trailed throughout the first half, they took their first lead shortly after halftime. The game featured multiple lead changes before the Iowa vs Illinois eventually pulled away for good.
