Nichols Scores Career High in Illinois' Big Ten Tourney Exit

NEW YORK (AP) – Kipper Nichols scored a career-high 31 points in Illinois' 96-87 loss to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

At the World's Most Famous Arena, Nichols finished 10-of-18 from the field and 5-of-9 from three-point range. But it wasn't enough to best the Hawkeyes.

Iowa, the No. 12 seed in the tournament, jumped out to an early lead that was cut to four at halftime. The teams traded runs in the second half, but every time the No. 13 seed Illini fought back, the Hawkeyes had an answer.

Jordan Bohannon scored 25 points and had six assists for Iowa, including a bounce pass to Luka Garza for a jam with 34 seconds left to keep the Illini at bay.

Michael Finke and Trent Frazier each scored 13 points for Illinois (14-18), and Te'Jon Lucas finished with 12 points. Leading scorer Leron Black was held to just four points and was limited to just 17 minutes due to foul trouble. 

The Hawkeyes (14-18) got solid work inside from Tyler Cook (19 points, five rebounds) and Garza (20 and eight) to go with the accurate shooting of Bohannon. The sophomore was 5 for 7 from 3-point range. Iowa will face fifth-seeded Michigan on Thursday.

BIG PICTURE

The Illini have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2013, but this will be the first season as a head coach that Underwood has not led his team to the NCAAs. He did it each of his three seasons as head coach at Stephen F. Austin and took Oklahoma State there last year, his one and only season with the Cowboys.

It's now on to next season for the Illini, who have an early season trip to Hawaii for the 2018 Maui Invitational to look forward to.

ILLINOIS POSTGAME NOTES

• Illinois finished the 2017-18 season with a 14-18 overall record. 

• Illinois is now 27-19 at the Big Ten Basketball Tournament all-time.

• Sophomore forward Kipper Nichols poured in a career-high 31 points in 10-of-18 FG, 5-of-9 3FG and 6-of-6 FT. The 10 made field goals is a new career-high and the five made threes tie his career-high. 

    » Nichols' 31 points is an Illinois Big Ten Tournament high (29, Luther Head vs. Indiana, 3/14/04) and tied for the fourth-most by any player in a Big Ten Tournament game.