Bad defense, bad turnover margin, and even worse officiating proved too much to overcome for the Iowa Hawkeyes as they fell, 82-71 to Illinois Fighting Illini in the Big Ten Tournament semifinal.
The story of the game for Illinois was the tremendous play from who else — Kofi Cockburn, and Ayo Dosunmu, who tallied 26 points and 18 points, 9 assists and 7 rebounds, respectively. Cockburn feasted underneath the basket from first buzzer to final, and Dosunmu showed why he was considered for National Player of the Year.
For Iowa, the game was a struggle in every conceivable way.