Bohannon's bank sends Iowa to the Big Ten Tournament finals
INDIANAPOLIS -- — Jordan Bohannon banked in a 3-pointer from just inside the midcourt logo with 0.8 seconds left and No. 24 Iowa rallied to shock ninth-seeded Indiana 80-77 in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal.
With the shot clock running down and the score tied, Bohannon caught a pass on the deep left wing, took three dribbles trying to shake loose and launched the long 3 from straightaway. The ball went off the backboard and through the net, sending him running backward toward the Hoosiers bench.
Keegan Murray scored 32 points as the Hawkeyes (25-9) advanced to Sunday's championship game. They will play for their first tourney crown since 2006.
Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Hoosiers, who nearly led from start to finish. Xavier Johnson added 20 points.
The Hoosiers (20-13) blew a six-point lead in the final four minutes, primarily because of a late flurry of 3-pointers from Iowa.
It started with Bohannon's 3 to tie the score at 71 with 2:27 to go. Murray's 3 with 1:56 left gave Iowa the lead and Bohannon's next 3, with 50.1 seconds left made it 77-73.
But it didn't put the game away for the Hawkeyes.
Instead, Johnson made two free throws and Indiana forced a turnover that led to Johnson's breakaway layup with 30.7 seconds left. That tied the score again at 77.
After Bohannon's go-ahead shot and a timeout, Johnson's 60-foot desperation heave bounced high off the backboard, ending the Hoosiers' surprise tourney run. It was their first semifinal appearance since 2013.
Murray also had nine rebounds and Patrick McCaffery had 16 points for Iowa.
Race Thompson finished with 11 points while Jackson-Davis grabbed 10 rebounds.
BIG PICTURE
Indiana: If two wins in two days, over the 2020-21 Big Ten regular-season champs and 2021-22 conference co-champs, weren't enough to secure a spot in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field, Saturday's game should have done the trick. Indiana was in control most of the game against one of America's most proficient scoring teams but came up just short.
Iowa: There's no doubt the Hawkeyes shooters cause most teams trouble. But after scoring 196 points in two games, Iowa needed a late flurry to secure this one. After Sunday's game, there will be no more back-to-back contests on the schedule — allowing Iowa to go full throttle the rest of this season.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Given the surprises that occurred Thursday and Friday in Indianapolis — and throughout the other conference tournaments around the country this weekend — the Hawkeyes should move up in the final Top 25 rankings. The more interesting question will be whether the Hoosiers' breakthrough weekend sends them into the poll for the first time this season.
UP NEXT
Indiana: Will find out Sunday night if they've made their first NCAA Tournament since 2016.
Iowa: Faces either No. Purdue or seventh-seeded Michigan State in Sunday's title game.