Illinois Beats Iowa to Reach Final Four for 1st Time Since 2005 as Fans Praise March Madness Run

No. 3 Illinois avoided a potential upset on Saturday, taking down No. 9 Iowa by the final score of 71-59 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA tournament.

The Fighting Illini have now advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2005.

Illinois only led 60-55 with just under four minutes remaining in the second half, but closed the game on an 11-4 run to secure the victory.

Fans and pundits praised Illinois' overall March Madness run following the triumph.

The Fighting Illini didn't open Saturday's contest on a high note, as they trailed Iowa 12-2 early in the first half. Head coach Brad Underwood's squad quickly responded with a 9-0 run to keep the game from getting out of hand, though.

While Iowa pushed its lead to seven points shortly afterwards, neither team was able to gain much separation throughout the first half. The game was briefly delayed due to broken horn at the Toyota Center, but play eventually resumed after 11 minutes.

The Hawkeyes ultimately led 32-28 at halftime.

Both schools continued to battle throughout the second half, with the game featuring 13 total lead changes.

Illinois eventually started to pull ahead with roughly six minutes remaining in the second half, although Iowa made multiple late runs.

The Hawkeyes cut the deficit to 63-59 with two minutes left in the contest, but they wouldn't score again.

Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler wrapped up a stellar performance in the victory, scoring 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Wagler also recorded three assists and two rebounds.

Andrej Stojaković was a key contributor for the Fighting Illini down the stretch of the game as well, finishing with 17 points in 27 minutes off the bench. Stojaković shot 7-of-9 from the field.

Illinois used its size to excel around the basket, pulling down 38 rebounds compared to just 21 for Iowa. The Fighting Illini also outscored the Hawkeyes 40-12 in the paint.

Illinois will now face the winner of Sunday's clash between Duke and UConn in the Final Four.