INDIANAPOLIS — Illinois mounted a furious fourth-quarter comeback but ultimately fell short in a 64–58 loss to No. 9 Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals Friday night.
Trailing by as many as 22 points in the second half, the Fighting Illini closed the game on a 17–2 run and outscored the Hawkeyes 27–11 in the final quarter. The late surge trimmed the deficit to six, but Iowa held on to advance while Illinois’ tournament run came to an end.
Junior guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger led Illinois with a season-high 22 points, marking her first 20-point performance of the year. Berry Wallace added 13 points, continuing her consistent scoring stretch with her 22nd consecutive game in double figures, while Destiny Jackson contributed 10 points and six assists.
Illinois (21–11) struggled early as Iowa built a 37–23 halftime lead and pushed the advantage to 53–31 after three quarters. The Illini offense found its rhythm late, sparked by defensive pressure that forced 16 Iowa turnovers and helped generate 17 points off takeaways.
Brown-Hagger also fueled Illinois on the glass with three offensive rebounds, part of an 11–7 edge for the Illini on the offensive boards. Those extra opportunities led to 11 second-chance points.
Freshman Cearah Parchment added three steals and continued her strong debut season, finishing with at least five rebounds for the 31st straight game.
Despite the loss, Illinois showed resilience down the stretch, holding Iowa scoreless for nearly four minutes during its late rally.
The Illini now await their postseason fate. The NCAA Tournament selection show will air Sunday, March 15 at 7 p.m. CT.
