Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Live Score and Stats
CBS Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- Illinois Fighting Illini defeated Iowa Hawkeyes 71-59 to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2005, marking their sixth overall trip to this stage without having won a national title.
- Freshman Keaton Wagler led Illinois with 25 points and was named MVP of the South Region, while Andrej Stojakovic contributed 17 points, and the Illini dominated the boards with a 38-21 rebounding advantage.
- Illinois' success was bolstered by their tall frontcourt players, including Croatian twins Tomislav (7-foot-1) and Zvonimir Ivisic (7-foot-2), who played key roles in the team's late-game surge.
- Iowa, led by Bennett Stirtz's 24 points, made a strong tournament run under first-year coach Ben McCollum but ultimately fell short after Illinois pulled away in the second half.
- Illinois will next face either Duke or UConn in the Final Four in Indianapolis, continuing their pursuit of the program's first national championship.
