In the middle of a tightly contested game in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, Iowa Hawkeyes head coach Fran McCaffery was ejected in the second half. With Iowa trailing Illinois, 69-60 with 13:33 remaining,

Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery got the heave-ho during the Hawkeyes' battle vs. Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament.

There was no guarantee Iowa would make it to Indianapolis, but with the win over Nebraska, the Hawkeyes’ season found a second life.

Was this the end for Payton Sandfort and Fran McCaffery? The biggest takeaways from Iowa's loss vs. No. 25 Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament.

The No. 24 Illinois Fighting Illini face the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten Tournament. The teams meet Thursday for the second time this season.

The Hawkeyes will now turn their attention to the Big Ten Tournament. Iowa is the 15-seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will face 10-seed Ohio State on Wednesday. The game will tip off at approximately 5 p.m. CT.

While Iowa didn't get a lengthy Big Ten Tournament run, several noteworthy developments emerged as the Hawkeyes continue their postseason journey.

The 15th-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes saw their Big Ten Tournament run end Thursday night with a second-round loss vs. seventh-seeded and No. 25 Illinois (21-11, 12-8) in a 106-94 loss from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

After back-to-back solid performances, the Iowa Hawkeyes returned to their ways on Thursday night in what could be a fitting end to the Fran McCaffery era in Iowa City. In their prior to games, the Hawkeyes showed consistent effort on both the defensive end and on the glass.