Illinois Final Four-bound for first time since 2005 after beating Iowa in South Region final

Hug your orange-and-blue neighbors. Call your Illini-mad friends.

If you’re dancing in the street as you read this, you must be part of the same giddy club.

For the first time since 2005, Illinois men’s basketball team has reached the Final Four. A 71-59 win against Iowa in the NCAA Tournament’s South Region final earned the Illini (28-8) a trip to Indianapolis.

They’ll face either Duke or UConn in a national semifinal next Saturday.

Everything about the first half in Houston was strange, starting with the underdog Hawkeyes motoring out to a double-digit lead before the first media timeout. Later, the Toyota Center’s courtside horn got stuck and wouldn’t shut off for several irritating minutes. Then the Jumbotron went out. Was this a basketball arena or an 18-year-old Corolla?

The Hawkeyes led 32-28 at the break, star guard Bennett Stirtz already with 15 points (on the way to 24) and the Illini — ninth in the country at 10.9 three-pointers per game — just 1-for-8 from long range.

But the Illini stayed in the fight with an immense effort on the offensive boards, and their size and strength advantages showed up all second half as things eventually tilted their way. Back-to-back hook shots by Tomislav Ivisic put them ahead by five with under five minutes to go. A Keaton Wagler shot in the lane pushed the lead to seven. A David Mirkovic-to-Zvonimir Ivisic alley-oop made it 60-52 with 4:12 left.

Coach Brad Underwood, in his sixth tournament at Illinois and the 10th of his career, gets to the Final Four for the first time.

“I just bided my time and found a group that’s magical,” Underwood said. “We’re just living the dream.”