March 5, 2026, 7:33 p.m. CT
No. 2 seed Iowa women’s basketball will face No. 10 seed Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, slated for 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday, March 6, inside Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Fighting Illini picked up a 71-69 win over No. 7 seed Michigan State in the second round on Thursday to advance. Illinois will be playing its third game in three days after beating Wisconsin in the tournament’s opening round.
The Hawkeyes just played Illinois in what was a thriller at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa’s 82-78 win on Feb. 26 featured 14 lead changes and required the Hawkeyes to claw out of a six-point fourth-quarter deficit. Illinois was unconscious from deep that night, finishing 11-for-19 on 3-pointers. However, 28 points from Ava Heiden spearheaded a riveting rally.
Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.