Illinois beats Iowa, reaches Final Four for first time since 2005
The Illinois Fighting Illini have reached the Final Four for the first time since 2005 after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 71-59 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament. Led by freshman Keaton Wagler's 25 points, Illinois will face the winner of the Duke vs UConn matchup in the Final Four on April 4.
Illinois beat Iowa 71-59 in the Elite Eight. The victory marked Illinois' first Final Four appearance since 2005. Keaton Wagler scored 25 points for Illinois. Andrej Stojaković added 17 points and Tomislav Ivišić had 13 points. Illinois dominated the glass with 16 offensive rebounds. The Illini took control late in the game, outscoring Iowa 8-0 in a 2:54 span. Iowa's Bennett Stirtz had a team-high 24 points in his final college game.
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