INDIANAPOLIS – The Iowa men’s basketball team saw its Big Ten Tournament run come to a close on Thursday evening, falling to rival Illinois by a score of 106-94 in the second round.
Despite the loss, fourth-year forward Payton Sandfort turned in an incredible performance of 30 points and four assists on 11-for-20 shooting from the floor in what could be his final college game.
“It’s the greatest honor of my life to be able to represent the Black and Gold, Sandfort said. “And that’s why I gave it everything I did every day. The chance to play for coach and the chance to play with so many great Hawkeyes. It’s the honor of my lifetime.”
Plenty of tears and hugs were shared in the Iowa locker room following the game, especially between Sandfort and his younger brother, Pryce. The two have played two seasons together in Hawkeye uniforms, something Pryce will always cherish.
Being an Iowa kid, it just means so much to us, and I think we showed that through our play, and through our emotions,” Pryce said. “I’m super proud to wear this jersey.”
Iowa missed its first field goals to begin the game, but quickly gathered itself thanks to the play of third-year guard Josh Dix. Dix collected seven points within the game’s first five minutes, including a three-pointer that received a friendly bounce off the iron. But Illinois, a team that has been known for poor outside shooting all season, knocked in a couple of threes to tie the game at 11 apiece heading into the first media timeout.
Hawkeye guard Brock Harding carried Wednesday’s momentum right into this game, knocking in his first mid-range jumper of the game, a sign of his growing confidence. Illinois’ confidence grew too, as numerous defensive lapses by the Iowa defense allowed plenty of easy buckets at the rim. The Hawkeyes also struggled to rebound, with the Fighting Illini netting six second chance points off of those missed boards.
Dix was forced to sit for the remainder of the half due to foul trouble, and three missed free throws by Drew Thelwell seemed to halt Iowa’s momentum. Illinois continued to pound the rock inside, leaving head coach Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeye bench begging for any sort of answer.
Even still, an off-balance Sandfort triple sliced the Illini lead to 49-45 at the break, setting the stage for an action-packed second half.
MONEY!!!@payton_20_ x #Hawkeyes
: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/XSWZla4NXC
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) March 13, 2025
Second Half
Iowa needed a quick start to the second half to capitalize on the energy that it gained near the end of the end of the first, but it was Illinois who came out flying out of the gates to begin the period. The Illini out-rebounded the Hawkeyes, 6-1, within the first five minutes, and took advantage of Iowa’s poor defense to take a comfortable 61-52 edge early.
Illinois sustained that lead over the next few minutes, then chaos ensued. With the Illini leading 69-60, McCaffery, who had been unhappy with the officiating throughout the game, was assessed a technical foul after jawing with an official. After walking to his bench, McCaffery resumed the argument, yelling several profane phrases toward the officials, resulting in a second technical foul and an automatic ejection.
Fran McCaffery double T and ejection
pic.twitter.com/9waOHEEO8u
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) March 14, 2025
McCaffery avoided diving too much into the ejection, but pointed out the foul discrepancy in the half. Iowa was called for 11 fouls in the period, while Illinois was called for six.
“I’m always going to advocate for my guys,” McCaffery said. “That’s my job.”
The ejection fired Iowa and its fans up, but only briefly. Sandfort attempted to keep the Hawkeyes close with a birage of three-pointers, but the Fighting Illini simply overpowered them with their outside shooting. Illinois came into the contest averaging only 30 percent from deep this season, but finished the night with a scorching 46 percent from distance.
And with that, Iowa’s hopes for a miraculous Cinderella run were dashed, and the Fighting Illini walked away with the victory.
Up next
While there is a chance that the Hawkeyes’ season could end tonight, McCaffery said that he and the program are planning on playing in a postseason tournament should they earn an invitation. If invited, Iowa will likely play in the National Invitation Tournament or the brand-new College Basketball Crown tournament in Las Vegas.
The NIT will run from March 18-April 3, while the Crown is slated for March 31-April 6. Both tournament fields will be selected on March 16.