Ohio State surged early in the second half before surviving Iowa’s final push to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
The last time Ohio State played Iowa, just two weeks ago, they suffered the worst loss in recent memory. A game that Jake Diebler and team intentionally tries to leave in the past, and put the Buckeyes’ season on life support. Since that game, Ohio State hasn’t lost and has reeled off wins over Purdue, Penn State, and Indiana, putting its resume squarely in the NCAA tournament. As fate would have it, Iowa ended up being their first opponent in the Big Ten Tournament as the Buckeyes looked to exact some revenge.
Iowa’s Tavion Banks nailed a three to open scoring, as there was trouble rotating on defense early for Ohio State. The Hawkeyes quickly jumped to an 8-2 lead. Ohio State slowed the pace down and began drawing fouls down low. A pair of Devin Royal free throws at the 14:50 mark would make it 8-6 Iowa as Ohio State crept back into the game. The defense for the Buckeyes tightened as a shot clock violation at the 12:36 mark swung the momentum.
A Christoph Tilly baby hook cut it to 12-9 at the 10:47 mark as his aggressiveness on offense sparked the Buckeyes, and he would even finish the half as the leading scorer with 12 points. At the 7:24 mark, Iowa led just 16-15, despite Ohio State having yet to make a three (0-4) and hovering around 33% from the field. The Buckeyes took their first lead of the game, 21-20, at the 5:11 mark after an Amare Bynum lay-in, giving him 8 pts at that point.
Soon after, Gabe Cupps drilled a three at the 3:40 mark to give Ohio State a 24-22 lead. From this point on, the Buckeyes would not look back. After Christoph Tilly went 3-4 from the line on successive possessions, he made it 30-25 with 1:30 remaining, and Ohio State headed into the half with a 34-30 lead. A welcome sight compared to the Buckeyes’ fortunes when they last faced Iowa.
In the second half, Ohio State found its groove from three as John Mobley Jr finally got on the board, drilling a triple about 3 minutes into the half. He ended up with two more 3-pointers made and 12 points. As he does, Bruce Thornton put on a clinic. Thornton amassed 17 points in the second half, shooting 70% from the field, and at one point went jumper, layup, and then three on consecutive possessions to put Ohio State up 51-35 with just under 14 min left. A resounding “Bruuuce” reverberated throughout the United Center. He finished with 24 points on the day.
However, Iowa was determined to shock the Buckeyes yet again. As the half progressed, so did the Hawkeyes’ three-point shooting and open looks. With 38 seconds left in the game, Ohio State’s lead dwindled to just one, with the tension being palpable. Down by three, Iowa managed to get the final shot of the contest off as time expired. The open look had a chance to send it to overtime, but ultimately went off the back-iron and Ohio State escaped with another big win for its resume, 72-69.
Jake Diebler on having another chance against Michigan:
🗣️ “It’s another big opportunity for us. We’re used to playing big, meaningful games. This one going against the team up north hits a little different. I’ve said that from day one.” pic.twitter.com/uBWotiYZfX
— Grant Kincaid (@HGKincaid8) March 12, 2026
Ohio State will be back in action again tomorrow at noon against Michigan as they look to clip the Wolverines in their third matchup of the year.
Grant Kincaid was born in Columbus, Ohio, and raised in Dayton. He serves as Creative Director and basketball contributor at The Silver Bulletin. At one point, Grant, a collegiate baseball player, also holds a B.A. in Management and Leadership Studies. Aside from the Buckeyes, he is an avid supporter of both the Cincinnati Reds and Bengals. His favorite Buckeyes include Braxton Miller, AJ Hawk, and Ted Ginn Jr.