Iowa basketball fans react to McCaffery ejection, Payton Sandfort exit

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It was an emotional night in Indianapolis for the Hawkeyes inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

In its second-round game of the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament, Iowa head basketball coach Fran McCaffery received double technicals and was ejected with 13:33 remaining in the second half and the 15th-seeded Hawkeyes trailing No. 7 seed Illinois, 69-60.

Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis proceeded to knock down all four free throws to give the Illini a double-figure lead. Iowa never really responded from that point forward.

In a game that Iowa needed to win to keep its dream of the NCAA Tournament alive, the Hawkeyes instead found themselves on the wrong end of it. Illinois (21-11, 12-8 Big Ten) dispatched of Iowa (17-16, 7-13 Big Ten), 106-94.

It wasn’t without an extraordinary effort from Iowa senior forward Payton Sandfort, though. The 6-foot-8 forward erupted for 30 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including 8-for-13 3-point shooting. As Sandfort was subbed out with 1:01 remaining, Sandfort broke down into tears as he embraced Iowa assistant coach Sherman Dillard.

Each of those two moments generated a tidal wave of reaction across social media. Here’s how Iowa basketball fans and the sports world took in McCaffery’s ejection and then Sandfort’s emotional exit.

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Source link : https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/hawkeyes/mens-basketball/2025/03/14/iowa-basketball-twitter-reacts-fran-mccaffery-ejection-payton-sandfort-exit-vs-illinois/82384611007/

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Publish date : 2025-03-14 10:46:00

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