Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini

Mar 28, 2026

FINAL

Box Score

	1	2	T
IOWA	32	27	59
ILL	28	43	71

Game Recap

Illinois powers its way to its first Final Four in 21 years, beating Iowa 71-59. Illinois is heading to the Final Four for the first time in 21 years, and Andrej Stojakovic made clear the Fighting Illini have much bigger goals.

Player Stats

IOWA	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
3Cam Manyawu	26	2-3	0-0	0-0	5	3	0	0	1	2	4
8Cooper Koch	39	2-5	2-5	0-0	3	2	0	2	0	5	6
14Bennett Stirtz	40	8-17	4-11	4-4	3	3	0	0	2	2	24
6Tavion Banks	25	1-8	1-3	2-2	3	2	1	0	1	3	5
11Kael Combs	24	2-5	1-4	0-0	1	2	2	0	1	3	5
7Alvaro Folgueiras	9	0-2	0-1	0-0	0	0	1	1	2	0	0
24Tate Sage	18	2-4	2-3	4-4	3	0	0	0	1	4	10
23Isaia Howard	19	1-3	1-3	2-4	0	0	1	0	0	1	5
TOTAL	-	18-4738.3%	11-3036.7%	12-1485.7%	18	12	5	3	8	20	59

ILLINOIS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
0David Mirkovic	38	3-9	0-1	3-4	12	2	2	1	2	1	9
15Jake Davis	13	0-1	0-1	1-2	2	0	0	1	0	1	1
13Tomislav Ivisic	27	6-11	1-4	0-0	4	1	0	2	1	5	13
23Keaton Wagler	38	8-17	2-7	7-7	2	3	1	0	2	3	25
4Kylan Boswell	26	0-2	0-1	2-2	2	2	2	0	0	2	2
3Ben Humrichous	20	0-2	0-2	0-0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
44Zvonimir Ivisic	11	1-2	0-1	2-2	1	0	0	1	0	0	4
2Andrej Stojakovic	27	7-9	0-0	3-4	5	0	1	0	3	1	17
TOTAL	-	25-5347.2%	3-1717.6%	18-2185.7%	32	8	6	5	8	13	71

Play-by-Play

Scores OnlyExpand All

1st halfIOWAILL

(20:00) Start game.
(19:58) Jump Ball won by Iowa.
(19:58) Jump Ball lost by Illinois.
(19:39) Foul on Keaton Wagler.
(19:37) Kael Combs bad pass turnover.
(19:37) Kylan Boswell Steal.
(19:26) Keaton Wagler bad pass turnover.
(19:26) Tavion Banks Steal.
(19:21) Tavion Banks misses 81-foot jumper.
(19:21) Jake Davis Block.
(19:21) Cooper Koch Offensive Rebound.
+2 (19:15) Kael Combs makes layup (Cooper Koch assists).
20
+2 (18:59) Cam Manyawu makes 2-foot dunk (Bennett Stirtz assists).
40
(18:59) David Mirkovic traveling turnover.
(18:35) Foul on Kael Combs.
(18:31) Kylan Boswell misses 23-foot three point jumper.
(18:31) Bennett Stirtz Defensive Rebound.
+2 (18:02) Bennett Stirtz makes 12-foot jumper.
60
(17:36) David Mirkovic misses 12-foot jumper.
(17:33) Cam Manyawu Defensive Rebound.
(17:18) Bennett Stirtz misses 29-foot three point jumper.
(17:13) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
(17:02) Jake Davis misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(16:58) Tavion Banks Defensive Rebound.
+3 (16:39) Kael Combs makes 24-foot three point jumper (Tavion Banks assists).
90
+2 (16:17) Keaton Wagler makes 11-foot jumper.
92
+3 (15:56) Bennett Stirtz makes 24-foot three point jumper (Cam Manyawu assists).
122
(15:22) Keaton Wagler misses driving layup.
(15:21) Foul on Tavion Banks.
(15:21) Jake Davis misses free throw 1 of 2.
(15:21) Illinois Deadball Team Rebound.
+1 (15:21) Jake Davis makes free throw 2 of 2.
123
(15:19) Jake Davis Offensive Rebound.
(14:54) Tavion Banks misses layup.
(14:54) Zvonimir Ivisic Block.
(14:49) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
(14:29) Andrej Stojakovic bad pass turnover.
(14:29) Kael Combs Steal.
(14:28) Tavion Banks bad pass turnover.
(14:28) David Mirkovic Steal.
(14:14) David Mirkovic misses 11-foot jumper.
(14:11) Zvonimir Ivisic Offensive Rebound.
(14:02) Ben Humrichous misses 28-foot three point jumper.
(13:58) Andrej Stojakovic Offensive Rebound.
+2 (13:56) Andrej Stojakovic makes 8-foot floating jump shot.
125
(13:28) Alvaro Folgueiras bad pass turnover.
(13:28) Andrej Stojakovic Steal.
+2 (13:24) Andrej Stojakovic makes layup.
127
(13:24) Foul on Bennett Stirtz.
(13:24) Andrej Stojakovic misses free throw 1 of 1.
(13:21) David Mirkovic Offensive Rebound.
+2 (13:20) David Mirkovic makes layup.
129
(12:55) Isaia Howard misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(12:53) Illinois Defensive Rebound.
(12:41) Foul on Tate Sage.
+1 (12:41) Zvonimir Ivisic makes free throw 1 of 2.
1210
+1 (12:41) Zvonimir Ivisic makes free throw 2 of 2.
1211
+3 (12:12) Bennett Stirtz makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot.
1511
(11:47) Foul on Cam Manyawu.
+2 (11:39) Andrej Stojakovic makes driving layup.
1513
+2 (11:09) Bennett Stirtz makes 17-foot jumper.
1713
(10:48) Tomislav Ivisic bad pass turnover.
+3 (10:29) Tate Sage makes 23-foot three point jumper (Cam Manyawu assists).
2013
(10:08) Foul on Tate Sage.
(9:55) Tomislav Ivisic misses layup.
(9:50) Tomislav Ivisic Offensive Rebound.
+2 (9:50) Tomislav Ivisic makes 0-foot tip in layup.
2015
(9:26) Bennett Stirtz misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(9:22) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
+3 (9:05) Keaton Wagler makes 27-foot three point jumper.
2018
(8:34) Foul on Tomislav Ivisic.
+1 (8:34) Tavion Banks makes free throw 1 of 2.
2118
+1 (8:34) Tavion Banks makes free throw 2 of 2.
2218
(8:13) David Mirkovic bad pass turnover.
(8:13) Kael Combs Steal.
(8:08) Alvaro Folgueiras bad pass turnover.
(8:08) Kylan Boswell Steal.
+2 (7:49) Keaton Wagler makes 7-foot jumper.
2220
(7:43) Foul on Kylan Boswell.
+2 (7:27) Bennett Stirtz makes driving layup.
2420
(7:13) Kylan Boswell misses 9-foot jumper.
(7:13) Alvaro Folgueiras Block.
(7:08) Cooper Koch Defensive Rebound.
+3 (6:48) Bennett Stirtz makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot (Kael Combs assists).
2720
+2 (6:23) Keaton Wagler makes driving layup.
2722
(6:03) Alvaro Folgueiras misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(6:00) David Mirkovic Defensive Rebound.
(5:49) Keaton Wagler misses 24-foot three point jumper.
(5:47) Iowa Defensive Rebound.
(5:28) Alvaro Folgueiras misses layup.
(5:28) David Mirkovic Block.
(5:23) Tomislav Ivisic Defensive Rebound.
+2 (5:14) Andrej Stojakovic makes layup.
2724
(4:44) Kael Combs misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(4:40) Kylan Boswell Defensive Rebound.
(4:22) Andrej Stojakovic bad pass turnover.
(4:22) Alvaro Folgueiras Steal.
(4:16) Bennett Stirtz bad pass turnover.
(4:16) David Mirkovic Steal.
(4:09) Keaton Wagler misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(4:06) Illinois Offensive Rebound.
(4:01) Foul on Kael Combs.
+1 (4:01) Keaton Wagler makes free throw 1 of 2.
2725
+1 (4:01) Keaton Wagler makes free throw 2 of 2.
2726
(3:39) Bennett Stirtz misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(3:39) Illinois Defensive Rebound.
(3:22) Keaton Wagler misses driving layup.
(3:18) David Mirkovic Offensive Rebound.
(3:18) David Mirkovic misses tip in layup.
(3:17) Tate Sage Defensive Rebound.
+3 (2:55) Tate Sage makes 25-foot three point jumper (Cam Manyawu assists).
3026
(2:25) Keaton Wagler misses driving layup.
(2:25) Cooper Koch Block.
(2:25) Illinois Offensive Rebound.
(2:23) Foul on Bennett Stirtz.
+1 (2:23) Andrej Stojakovic makes free throw 1 of 2.
3027
+1 (2:23) Andrej Stojakovic makes free throw 2 of 2.
3028
(2:08) Tate Sage bad pass turnover.
(1:44) Keaton Wagler misses 27-foot three point jumper.
(1:39) David Mirkovic Offensive Rebound.
(1:39) David Mirkovic misses tip in layup.
(1:37) Tate Sage Defensive Rebound.
(1:16) Cam Manyawu bad pass turnover.
(0:58) Tomislav Ivisic misses 25-foot three point jumper.
(0:56) Illinois Offensive Rebound.
(0:43) David Mirkovic misses driving layup.
(0:40) Bennett Stirtz Defensive Rebound.
+2 (0:30) Cam Manyawu makes layup (Bennett Stirtz assists).
3228
(0:01) Keaton Wagler traveling turnover.

2nd half

Team Stats

IOWA

ILL

59Points71

18-47(38.3%)Field Goal(%)25-53(47.2%)

11-30(36.7%)3-Point(%)3-17(17.6%)

12-14(85.7%)Free Throw(%)18-21(85.7%)

21(8)Rebounds(Offensive)38(16)

12Assists8

5Steals6

3Blocks5

9Turnovers8

20(0)Fouls(Technical)13(0)

10Largest Lead12

Game Details

Saturday, March 28, 2026 · 6:09 PM

Toyota Center · Houston, TX

attendance: 17,010 (93.0%)

tv: TBS

spread: ILL -6.5

over/under: 138.5