No. 7 Ohio State is the first team with five ranked wins this season after an 89-85 victory on Thursday over No. 8 Iowa that came down to the final seconds.
The Buckeyes stormed back from an 11-point deficit in the second half with four of their five starters scoring in double digits by the end of the night. Justice Sueing led the way, hitting a double-double (11 rebounds, 12 points), while three other teammates—E.J. Liddell, Kyle Young and Duane Washington Jr.—all scored 16 points.
The Hawkeyes also had four players score double digits, as Jordan Bohannon and Jack Nunge led the way with 18 points each. However, Ohio State managed to contain star Luka Garza, the nation’s leading scorer at 26.4 points per game. He went just 2-for-8 in the second half, ending with 16 points.
The lead changed 18 times in the first 36 minutes of the top-10 matchup, but the Buckeyes took a 71-70 lead on a Young dunk with 8:10 remaining and never trailed again. The Hawkeyes did manage to stay within striking distance until Garza missed a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining.
The Buckeyes hit 8-of-17 threes in the second half, including three consecutive baskets down the stretch that expanded a one-point lead to seven to keep them out of reach.
Head coach Chris Holtmann has now guided Ohio State to road victories over Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Rutgers in the Big Ten.
With March Madness inching closer, it’ll be interesting to see where Ohio State lands in the rankings. The Buckeyes face three more ranked teams in their final seven games—No. 4 Michigan, No. 8 Iowa (again) and No. 12 Illinois.
