The University of Iowa women’s basketball team will enter the Big Ten Tournament with three wins in its last four games after downing Illinois, 61-56, in the regular season finale Saturday in front of 4,610 on Mediacom Court. HawkeyeSports.com reports Hawkeye freshman Megan Gustafson made the closing statement in a battle of the league’s elite post players when she sank a turn-around jump shot over Chatrice White to give Iowa a 59-56 lead with 48 seconds remaining. Both players finished with double-doubles in points and rebounds.

Iowa (18-12 overall, 8-10 Big Ten) finished the regular season 11-4 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena and have won 18-or-more games in nine consecutive seasons. Illinois falls to 9-20, 2-16.

Four Hawkeyes scored in double figures, led by Gustafson. Whitney Jennings, who made back-to-back 3-pointers to begin a 16-0 run at the end of the third quarter, scored 14, Ally Disterhoft had 13, and Chase Coley added 10. Iowa assisted on 20-of-24 made field goals; Alexa Kastanek had a career-high and game-high seven assists and Tania Davis added six.

The Hawkeyes return to action Thursday at the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. As the No. 8 or No. 9 seed, Iowa will play either Michigan or Nebraska and tip off at 11 a.m. (CT) from Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The winner takes on top-seeded Maryland on March 4 at 11 a.m.