As the Iowa men’s basketball team entered Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the final time in the regular season, they knew that the No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini presented a difficult challenge, but also a big-time opportunity. 

With a win, the Hawkeyes could bolster their NCAA Tournament resume and show the selection committee that they are deserving of a spot in the Big Dance for the fifth straight year. A loss wouldn’t knock them out of contention but would require some heavy lifting in the Big Ten Tournament. 

Unfortunately for Iowa, things didn’t go as planned, resulting in a 73-61 defeat. 

The Hawkeyes missed their first 10 field goals of the game which allowed Illinois to jump out to a 21-4 advantage before anyone broke a sweat. Iowa didn’t score until five minutes into the first half. 

The poor shooting performance came as a surprise, as the Hawks came into the contest averaging nearly 50 percent from the floor in their last nine games. Making matters worse, the Fighting Illini ranked 231st in defensive efficiency and had allowed at least 75 points in their last 10 matchups. 

Iowa is known for having one of the most dynamic offenses in the country, especially from behind the arc. Tonight, it hit its season average of 33 percent from distance, but many of those looks were wide-open and didn’t go down. 

“We had good shots, and it was frustrating for everybody,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said. 

“Most of them were halfway down, but that’s just the way it goes,” third-year forward Payton Sandfort added. 

Despite the massive hole they had dug themselves into, the Hawkeyes didn’t go down easy and cut the Illinois lead down to 10 at the break. First-year point guard Brock Harding provided the spark with six points and six assists off the bench. 

“He was really a positive influence and not only got the team involved but also the crowd,” McCaffery said. 

Harding played 12 minutes in the first half, but only saw two minutes of action in the second, in favor of fourth-year guard Tony Perkins. Perkins has been one of the key factors in Iowa’s postseason push but went a measly 1-10 from the field on his senior night. 

McCaffery said that he gave Perkins the bulk of the minutes due to his experience and toughness that he has displayed so often in his career. 

“I thought he did some really good stuff tonight and battled defensively,” McCaffery said.

The rough showing from Perkins capped off a difficult night for Iowa’s senior class, who scored a combined nine points on the night. Patrick McCaffery led the bunch with five points and two rebounds. 

Though it’s been a bit of a roller-coaster season for the Hawkeyes, their goal is to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. In its most recent update, ESPN listed Iowa as one of the first teams out of the field.

 “This is one of the best offensive teams out there, ” Illions head coach Brad Underwood said. “In my opinion, I think Iowa is NCAA worthy and should be in the dance.”