After Iowa controlled the first 15 minutes, Ohio State grabbed its first lead on an Amare Bynum jumper and went ahead for good with 2:28 left in the first half, taking a four-point advantage into the locker room. The Buckeyes opened the second half on a 17–5 run—highlighted by 10 straight points from Bruce Thornton—to build a lead as large as 16 before holding off a late Iowa three-point surge to secure a 72–69 victory.

The win moves Ohio State to 21–11, while Iowa falls to 21–12 as it awaits its NCAA Tournament seeding. Ohio State shot 55% from the field and 6-of-20 from three, while Iowa heated up after halftime to finish at 50% overall and 10-of-21 from long range. The Buckeyes went 14-of-19 from the free-throw line and dominated inside, outscoring the Hawkeyes 36–20 in the paint.

Bruce Thornton led Ohio State with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting while adding six rebounds, leaving him just one rebound shy of 500 for his career. Christoph Tilly added 16 points—12 in the first half—while John Mobley scored all 12 of his points after halftime. Amare Bynum chipped in 10 points in the win. Iowa was led by Bennett Stirtz with 17 points, the only Hawkeye to reach double figures. 

1^st Half

Iowa opened up an 8-2 lead early on the strength of a pair of triples with the only Buckeye score coming from Devin Royal. Christoph Tilly cut into the lead with a pair of free throws and at the first media timeout, Iowa led 8-4.

Out of the timeout, Royal went to the line and banged down a pair, but Iowa would score the next 4 to take a 12-6 lead into the under 12 media timeout as Ohio State was struggling offensively, hitting just 1 of their first 7 shots.

Tilly sparked the offense out of the break, splitting a pair of free throws and then finishing at the rim after a defensive stop. Iowa answered with a split at the line and later knocked down a deep three as the shot clock expired, but Ohio State kept pace. Bruce Thornton attacked the left side of the lane and scored off the glass, and Amare Bynum followed with a powerful drive that ended in a thunderous dunk. Tilly added another basket at the rim after an Iowa turnover, and at the under-8 media timeout Iowa held a narrow 16–15 lead.

Iowa came out of the timeout and knocked down a pair of free throws, but Tilly responded by driving the middle of the lane and setting up Bynum for a dunk. Iowa scored on the other end, yet Mobley answered by finding Bynum along the left baseline for another dunk. After a defensive stop, Bynum finished again at the rim to give Ohio State its first lead. Iowa briefly regained the advantage at the free-throw line, but Gabe Cupps buried a three-pointer to put Ohio State ahead 24–22 at the under-4 media timeout. 

The Hawkeyes briefly grabbed the lead with a three-pointer, but Thornton responded by driving the lane, finishing a runner through contact and converting the free throw for a three-point play. Ohio State extended its lead when Tilly knocked down three free throws on back-to-back possessions, though Iowa answered with another three to trim the margin to two. Tilly countered with a dunk, but the Hawkeyes responded with a layup with 21 seconds remaining in the half. After an Iowa timeout, Ohio State held for the final shot and Thornton delivered again, scoring on a runner off the glass to send the Buckeyes into the locker room with a 34–30 lead.

Ohio State shot an efficient 57% in the first half despite going just 1-for-8 from three against Iowa’s aggressive perimeter defense. The Buckeyes held the Hawkeyes to 45% shooting, though Iowa connected on 5 of 11 from beyond the arc. Ohio State held a slight 12–10 rebounding edge and was strong at the free-throw line, making 9 of 11 attempts compared to Iowa’s 5 of 6. Both teams committed five turnovers, with Iowa turning those into eight points while Ohio State scored four off miscues. The Buckeyes made their biggest impact inside, outscoring the Hawkeyes 22–8 in the paint during the opening 20 minutes. Christoph Tilly led all scorers with 12 first-half points, while Bennett Stirtz paced Iowa with nine.

2^nd Half

Iowa opened the second half with the first points, but Tilly answered with a bucket in the lane and Thornton followed with a 10-foot fadeaway jumper. After the Hawkeyes split a pair of free throws, John Mobley took a feed from Bynum and knocked down a three-pointer. Iowa trimmed the deficit with two free throws, but Thornton responded again, hitting a jumper while being fouled. At the under-16 media timeout, Ohio State held a 43–35 lead.

Thornton completed the three-point play out of the timeout and stayed hot, knocking down a 15-footer from the left wing after a defensive stop. He then scored on a dribble drive and followed it up with a three-pointer on the next possession, capping a personal 10–0 run. The surge forced Iowa to call a timeout with 13:53 remaining as Ohio State pushed its lead to 51–35.

Iowa stopped the run with a heavily defended three at the end of the shot clock and added a transition dunk off a Buckeye turnover forcing Jake Diebler called a timeout with 11:56 to play and the Ohio State lead cut to 51-40. 

Thornton halted Iowa’s run with a three-pointer, though the Hawkeyes quickly answered with one of their own. Mobley responded right back with a three, and after an Iowa turnover Bynum drew a foul and split a pair of free throws. Iowa then scored the next four points before calling a timeout at the 9:29 mark with Ohio State leading 58–47. The Hawkeyes extended their run to 8–0 before Mobley was fouled attacking the rim, and at the under-8 media timeout Ohio State’s lead had been trimmed to 58–51. 

Out of the timeout, Mobley split a pair of free throws to halt Iowa’s run, but the Hawkeyes answered by making two at the line. Tilly scored to slow Iowa’s momentum, and Mobley followed with a wide-open three to extend the lead. After Iowa split another pair of free throws, Thornton knocked down a baseline jumper in response. The Hawkeyes then scored off an offensive rebound and added a three, but Ivan Njegovan set up Bynum for a dunk on the other end. Iowa connected on another three, and at the final media timeout Ohio State held a 68–62 lead.

Royal scored off the glass to push the lead, but Iowa answered with another three to cut the deficit to five with two minutes remaining. After a tie-up gave the Hawkeyes possession, they capitalized with a dunk. Ohio State came up empty on its next trip, and Iowa drew a foul with 38.7 seconds left, hitting both free throws to pull within one. Mobley was then fouled with 8.8 seconds to play and calmly knocked down both free throws before Ohio State called timeout holding a 72–69 lead.

Iowa advanced the ball to the front court quickly and took a timeout with 7 seconds to play. A wild turnaround three off the inbounds play clanged off the top of the board giving the ball back to Ohio State and Tilly was fouled in the backcourt on the ensuing inbounds play. Tilly missed the front end of the one and one and Ohio State immediately fouled with 3.1 seconds left. Iowa missed the front end, but grabbed the offensive rebound and missed a three at the horn as Ohio State survived.

 

Game Wrap

Any doubt about Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament résumé has now been put to rest. The Buckeyes added another Quad 1 victory and have now won four straight games, a remarkable turnaround from just 15 days ago when the same Iowa team dominated them in Iowa City. Health has clearly played a major role in that turnaround. Ohio State was without Christoph Tilly in that earlier matchup, and judging by the impact he had in this game, the outcome in Iowa City may have looked much different with him on the floor.

For much of the middle portion of the game, Ohio State controlled the action against Iowa’s aggressive defense and built a double-digit lead. The Hawkeyes eventually caught fire from three late in the game, trimming the margin to just one point in the closing seconds. To the Buckeyes’ credit, they made the necessary plays down the stretch to weather the surge. At this time of year, the objective is simple: survive and advance—and that’s exactly what Ohio State did.

While earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament was the primary goal and appears firmly secured, the focus now shifts to the next opportunity. Ohio State will get a third meeting with its rival and a chance not only to knock off one of the best teams in the country, but also to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and potentially strengthen its seeding in the NCAA Tournament. The challenge will be significant, but the Buckeyes have earned the opportunity—and that’s all you can ask for this time of year. 

Box Score

*Official statistics provided courtesy of The Big Ten Conference and Statbroadcast

 

Ohio State will play again tomorrow in Chicago in the Big Ten Tournament, facing #1 seed Michigan. The game is scheduled for noon EDT and will be broadcast on BTN.

-Jason Harris

Photo Credit: USA Today