A protracted-awaited Large Ten showdown between two of the league’s preseason favorites lived as much as the hype Friday night time as No. 19 Illinois outlasted No. 7 Iowa 80-75 through the first sport in over per week for each squads. The Illini held the Hawkeyes to only two discipline objectives within the closing 5 minutes to safe what is certainly their finest win of the season.

The matchup was billed as a showdown between two of the league’s premier bigs in Iowa’s Luka Garza and Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn. However the Illinois backcourt duo of Ayo Dosunmu and Trent Frazier stole the present, combining for 49 factors on an extremely environment friendly 19-of-31 capturing. Cockburn completed with simply 9 factors however pulled down 10 rebounds and did a good job of containing Garza, who’s the nation’s main scorer.

Garza entered averaging 26.9 factors per sport and began quick with 10 factors within the first seven minutes however completed with 19 after he was restricted to only 28 minutes on account of foul bother. Iowa (12-4, 6-3 Large Ten) additionally performed with out sharpshooting sophomore guard CJ Fredrick, who’s battling a leg harm. With out Fredrick, who’s capturing 50% from 3-point vary this season, the Hawkeyes went over 10 minutes within the second half with out hitting a 3-pointer. 

Nonetheless, regardless of Garza’s foul bother and Fredrick’s absence, Iowa discovered itself within the sport within the sport late and on the improper finish of a controversial name. Along with his staff down 76-72 and 1:05 remaining, Hawkeyes guard Joe Wieskamp tried a floater that Cockburn swatted away. Wieskamp recovered the block and banked in a shot that appeared to chop Iowa’s deficit to 76-74. However as he did, play stopped for what was dominated a goaltend by Cockburn.

When the officers reviewed the play, nonetheless, they decided it was a clear block. The play left Iowa nonetheless trailing by two possessions, and the Hawkeyes in the end turned the ball over after play resumed. Jordan Bohannon did get a game-tying 3-point try with 7 seconds left, however it missed, which allowed the Illini (11-5, 7-3) to flee with a win.