Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Basketball could not complete the upset in Round Two of the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament, falling to Illinois 106-94. In what could be senior Payton Sandfort's last game as a Hawkeye, Iowa could not stop the hot-shooting Fighting Illini.
The contest between the 15-seed Hawkeyes and 7-seed Fighting Illini was an offensive slugfest, with little defense being played. The game finished with the highest point total in Big Ten Tournament history (200).
Iowa could not compete on the defensive end and gave up too many offensive rebounds to win the game and advance to the next round.
Game recap
The Iowa Hawkeyes were looking to ride the momentum from their previous two wins, but had to face an Illinois team that entered on a three-game winning streak. That included a blowout, 20-point win against Iowa on February 25.
Both teams came out of the tunnel hot. Tomislav Ivisic hit two quick three-point baskets to give the Fighting Illini an early six-point lead. Josh Dix paced the Hawkeyes at the beginning of the game, as he racked up 11 early points.
Dix got into some early foul trouble midway through the first half and had to sit for a good portion of the remaining time. Payton Sandfort picked up the slack and dropped 14 points on 4/6 shooting from behind the three-point line.
Illinois pounded the glass early and took a plus-11 rebound advantage into halftime, including six offensive rebounds. Illinois' hard work on the glass gave them a 49-45 advantage at the break and they would never relinquish it.
Despite Payton Sandfort's best offensive efforts, the Illini keep pulling away in the second half. They led by as many as 17 points, but a turning point came at the 13-minute mark.
Iowa head Coach Fran McCaffery was given back-to-back technical fouls and ejected from the game. Illinois was awarded four free throws and the ball after the ejection. They would push the lead to 13 points after making all four free throws.
Illinois would continue to dominate the glass and keep the Hawkeyes at arm's length. The Fighting Illini out-rebounded the Hawkeyes 39-23, with 14 offensive rebounds, en route to a 106-94 win.
Illinois shot 54 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point range and had all five starters score double figures in the victory.
The Hawkeyes ended the game shooting 55 percent from the field and 46 percent from three-point range. Payton Sandfort led the Hawkeyes with 30 points on 55 percent shooting from the field, including eight from three-point range. Josh Dix also added 21 points.
Key takeaways
In my pregame keys to the game, I stated Iowa must keep Illinois off the glass and limit its second-chance opportunities. The Hawkeyes failed miserably at both of those items. They allowed 14 offensive rebounds, with 17 second-chance points off of those rebounds.
Iowa's struggles in the paint are well-documented, but they cannot expect to win many games when they give up that many offensive rebounds.
Illinois deserves credit for a superior offensive strategy. They know Iowa is weak inside, so they pounded the ball into the paint, or took it to the basket off the high screen and roll.
They used their size and paint prowess to dominate the glass and get easy putbacks off of missed shots.
Iowa's defense had been better over their previous two games, but it let them down on this night as they could not stop the Fighting Illini offensive explosion. Giving up 106 points in a Big Ten Tournament game is unexcusable.
Give Payton Sandfort his flowers
Gave it everything he had. 🖤@payton_20_ x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/YmIbVgikNg
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) March 14, 2025
Iowa senior forward Payton Sandfort gave it his all against Illinois. He ended the game with 30 points and made clutch shots down the stretch for the Hawkeyes. It was not enough, as Iowa could not stop Illinois on the defensive end.
We may have seen the last of Sandfort in a Hawkeye uniform, and he deserves some praise. He is one of only two Hawkeyes in history to have 1,500-plus career points, 500-plus points, and 250-plus made three-point baskets.
He has earned the Sixth Man of the Year, All-Big Ten Third-Team, and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention awards during his time in Iowa City.
Beyond his awards on the court, Sandfort has been a leader in the locker room and has played the game the right way during his four years as a Hawkeye.
Illinois Head Coach Brad Underwood was asked about Sandfort during postgame interviews. Underwood stated, "He (Sandfort) is what it's all about....he was unguardable at times...a hell of a career."
Sandfort overcame several injuries this season and had to deal with death threats when Iowa was struggling. He took it all in stride and went out with a bang.
If this is the last game we see Payton Sandfort, I want to say thank you for all your hard work.