INDIANAPOLIS — Iowa basketball found some March magic in back-to-back wins over Nebraska and Ohio State.

There were no such heroics for the Hawkeyes against Illinois on Thursday.

The Hawkeyes were bounced from the Big Ten Tournament by the Fighting Illini, who prevailed by a score of 106-94.

Thursday’s game was reminiscent of the team’s first matchup this season when the Fighting Illini turned on the afterburners after the break. Iowa trailed by just four at halftime on Thursday but couldn't keep pace with the Fighting Illini in the final 20 minutes.

Illinois shredded Iowa’s defense. And during the second half, Iowa coach Fran McCaffery was ejected from the game.

Iowa falls to 17-16 overall this season.

Fran McCaffery gets ejected

McCaffery was thrown out of the game after receiving two technicals with 13:33 remaining in the contest At the time, Illinois was leading 69-60.

Here is a video of the sequence.

The Fighting Illini were awarded four free throws and converted on all of them. Illinois extended its lead to 13 as a result.

"I’m always going to advocate for my guys," McCaffery said after the game. "That’s my job."

Illinois' basketball quartet

Tomislav Ivisic, Will Riley, Tre White and Kylan Boswell combined for 66 points in the first meeting between Iowa and Illinois this season.

On Thursday, they were even better, combining to score 86.

At 7-foot-1, not only is Ivisic a presence on the interior but he also can stretch the floor. He finished the game with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists while knocking down three 3-pointers. His size and skillset made for a very difficult cover for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa had few answers for Riley, who could end up being a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. On Thursday, Riley had 21 points on 9-of-14 from the field.

Meanwhile, Boswell had 24 points and hit four 3-pointers. White added 22 points.

Iowa’s defense falters in high-powered offensive display

Iowa and Illinois entered the day as the conference’s top two teams based on points scored per game. Those high-octane offenses put on a show on Thursday.

The Hawkeyes shot 55% from the field and 46% from deep. Meanwhile, the Fighting Illini were at 54% from the field and 46% from deep.

Iowa’s defense had been better the last two games, holding Nebraska to 68 and Ohio State to 70. But the Hawkeyes weren’t able to replicate those performances on Thursday.

Illinois dominates the glass

Entering Thursday, Illinois was the best rebounding — and offensive rebounding — team in the Big Ten. Meanwhile, Iowa was near the bottom of the league in both of those categories.

That discrepancy was distinctly evident on Thursday.

Illinois manhandled Iowa on the boards, holding a 41-24 advantage overall.

The Fighting Illini also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds, which led to 17 second-chance points.

Iowa's dynamic duo

Payton Sandfort and Josh Dix have put on some dazzling performances this season. They combined for 61 points in the January game against Nebraska, 50 against Purdue and 46 against Rutgers.

Thursday’s performance fell into that realm as Sandfort and Dix combined for 51 points. Sandfort had 30, including eight made 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Dix had 21 on 10-of-17 from the field.

If those two aren’t clicking, Iowa’s offense is at risk of suffering. But if they are, the Hawkeyes’ offense can be extremely dangerous and that was on display against Illinois on Thursday. But Iowa's defense wasn't able to do enough to contain Illinois.

The free throw margin

Not only did Illinois attempt more free throws than Iowa, but it also shot a better percentage.

The Fighting Illini were 24-of-30 (80%) from the charity stripe. On the other hand, Iowa was 5-of-10 (50%).

The free throw line alone was not the deciding factor in the game. But it did not benefit the Hawkeyes.