Jalen Coleman-Lands scored 17 points and Malcolm Hill broke a tie with a 16-foot jumper with 1:14 to go Thursday, helping Illinois fend off No. 20 Iowa’s frantic comeback for a stunning 68-66 upset in the Big Ten tournament.
The Fighting Illini (15-18) won for only the second time in six games — this one after allowing the Hawkeyes (21-10) to score 11 straight points in 98 seconds to tie the score at 66 with 1:40 to play.
Hill gave Illinois the lead with his mid-range jumper and the struggling Hawkeyes didn’t score again. Illinois faces No. 13 Purdue in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Iowa (21-10) was led by Peter Jock, who tied his career high with 29 points before fouling out. Jarrod Uhthoff scored 21 points as the Hawkeyes lost five of their last six.
Kendrick Nunn had 16 points for Illinois.
