No. 3 Illinois outlasts conference rival Iowa to head back to Final Four

HOUSTON -- Freshman Keaton Wagler scored a game-high 25 points, Andrej Stojakovic added 17 off the bench, and third-seeded Illinois secured its first Final Four berth in 21 years with a 71-59 victory over Big Ten rival Iowa on Saturday in the South Region final of the NCAA Tournament.

Illinois (28-8) seized control of a back-and-forth second half with a 10-1 run that yielded a 60-52 lead with 4:06 left. The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (24-13) and Illinois combined for 13 lead changes and seven...