HOUSTON (Interstat) — Illinois used a dominant second half to defeat Iowa 71-59 in an NCAA Division I men’s basketball playoff game Saturday at NRG Stadium.

The Fighting Illini, trailing 32-28 at halftime, outscored the Hawkeyes 43-27 after intermission before a crowd of 17,010. The victory improved Illinois’ season record to 28-8, while Iowa finished its season at 24-13. Illinois also defeated Iowa in their regular-season meeting in January. The total score fell well under the pregame over/under line of 138.5.