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For the first time in more than two decades, the Illinois men’s basketball team will also be dancing at the conclusion of the Final Four.
Iowa’s underdog run in the NCAA Tournament ended with a 71-59 loss to a dominant Illinois team on Saturday. Before Illinois could cut the net at the Toyota Center in Houston, a buzzer malfunction caused a loud noise, resulting in a delay of nearly 10 minutes.
The buzzer initially signaled the end of the media timeout with only eight minutes remaining in the first half. The horn continued blowing for about seven minutes.
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A referee talks to the scorer’s table during an official’s timeout due to a broken shot clock horn during the first half of the Elite Eight game between Iowa and Illinois in the NCAA tournament on Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The players stood ready to play on the court for a few minutes before the buzzer sounded, allowing both teams to begin practicing.
It was eventually quelled with cheers from the crowd, but then the main scoreboard and video screen, which hung over the middle of the court, went dark.
Play eventually restarted with the big scoreboard closed. There were two small scoreboards in operation at each end of the field.
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler scored 25 points to help Illinois reach the Final Four for the first time since 2005.
Keaton Wagler (23) of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles against Isaiah Howard (23) of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Tournament on March 28, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Alex Schlitz/Getty Images)
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This will be the sixth overall trip to the Final Four for Illinois, which has never won a national title. The Fighting Illini will face either Duke or UConn next week in Indianapolis.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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