Hawkeye fans should send thanks Ohio State’s way after a clutch performance on Iowa’s behalf from the Buckeyes Thursday night.

Ohio State defeated Illinois, 71-63, to preserve Iowa’s chances of having a double-bye in next week’s Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Iowa faces off against Illinois Sunday in Champagne in a play-in game of sorts to determine which of the two conference foes will finish in the top four of the conference standings to earn the double-bye.

“We think we’ve played well enough to earn a double bye through the Big Ten season,” Iowa guard CJ Fredrick said. “It’s something we want. It’s something a lot of teams want. It helps put you into position to win a Big Ten Championship. A double-bye is huge, and that’s what we’re going to try and get.”

Securing a double-bye would be key for Iowa’s chances to make a stretch run in the conference tournament. A win on Sunday would mean the Hawkeyes would first tip off at Big Tens on March 13. A loss would have Iowa play a day earlier.

Without a double-bye, Iowa would have to win four games in four days to take home the conference crown. For a team with a lineup that typically only goes eight players deep, the extra time to recover and rest between games would be key for the Hawkeyes.

“It’s definitely in the back of our minds,” Iowa forward Joe Wieskamp said. “Getting that double bye would be huge for us. Every team in the Big Ten wants that — it’s just a huge advantage. Saves your legs a little bit, and it moves you that much farther into the tournament. So we’re definitely playing for that.”

Related: Purdue pounds Iowa for second time this season

The Hawkeyes take on the Fighting Illini after having previously beat them Feb. 2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Words were exchanged in the postgame handshake line after Iowa’s 72-65 win, so both teams are likely anxious to get back on the court this time around.

The biggest challenge for Iowa, however, may be rebounding from a disappointing loss on Senior Night to Purdue.

“Obviously we kind of knew the potential of the end of the season,” Wieskamp said. “We can just look forward, focus on the next game, and play as well as we can against Illinois. Then we can carry that into the Big Ten Tournament, then the NCAA Tournament. We want to win this game and finish the regular season strong.”

This time around, Iowa faces off against Illinois without the home-court advantage. The Hawkeyes went 9-1 in the Big Ten this season at Carver. Now, Iowa will be tasked with something that will be key down the rest of the season’s final stretch — winning away from home.

Iowa is 4-6 on the road this season and 2-2 in neutral site games. Those marks will need to be included for Hawkeye postseason success.

“No more home games,” Iowa forward Ryan Kriener said. “Everything is gonna be a battle now. We’re playing for keeps the rest of the way.”

Iowa tips off against Illinois at 6 p.m. Sunday with Big Ten seeding on the line.