Takeaways: Ohio State survives late Iowa rally to advance in Big Ten Tournament

Victory looked certain for Ohio State.

The Buckeyes led Iowa by 15 with 10 minutes remaining and appeared headed comfortably to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Then the lead began to shrink.

Nine points.

Five points.

Suddenly, the Hawkeyes trailed by three with three seconds left and Alvaro Folgueiras at the free-throw line. Iowa needed a miracle, and it nearly got one.

Folgueiras missed, and the rebound squirted left, right into the hands of Isisa Howard.

Howard rose and fired from the corner for the tie.

The shot hung in the air.

Then it rattled off the left side of the rim.

Relief.

“It’s March, so I definitely thought it was going to be a heart dropper,” Amare Bynum said. “I’m glad he missed it.”

In a game that nearly slipped away, the Buckeyes held on for a 74-69 win over Iowa Thursday at the United Center, advancing to the third round of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2023 and securing their fourth straight victory.

“We didn’t get rattled,” head coach Jake Diebler said. “I think it’s a great sign for things to come.”

Iowa’s furious second-half comeback nearly erased what had been a dominant stretch for Ohio State.

After a defensive first half, the Buckeyes seized control early in the second period. Ohio State opened the half on a 17-5 run, sparked by Bruce Thornton, who scored 10 straight points as the Buckeyes stretched their lead to 51-35 with just under 14 minutes remaining.

For a moment, it looked like the game might turn into a runaway.

Instead, Iowa slowly worked its way back.

The Hawkeyes, who had previously been down 12 with five minutes to play, went on a ferocious 15-4 run, aided by a pair of three-pointers from Alvaro Folgueiras and by forcing Ohio State into long, empty possessions. Iowa cut the lead to one after two free throws from Bennett Stirtz, and the Hawkeye-heavy crowd pulsed with momentum with 30 seconds remaining.

Ohio State needed to steady itself.

Bruce Thornton drove to the basket with 10 seconds to go and missed, but after a scramble for a long rebound, John Mobley Jr. was fouled and knocked down two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to push the Buckeyes ahead by three.

That set up Iowa with one final opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds. It failed to convert.

Earlier in the afternoon, Ohio State had to overcome a sluggish start. The Buckeyes opened the game 1-for-7 from the field and committed four early turnovers before recording their first assist.

However, the defense kept the game within reach. Ohio State forced four turnovers and made sure Iowa’s lead didn’t extend past six points.

Behind Christoph Tilly, who scored 12 first-half points, the Buckeyes eventually found their rhythm offensively. Ohio State closed the half on a short run to take a four-point lead into halftime before its second-half surge helped it get its first Big Ten Tournament win since beating Iowa in 2024.

Here are three quick takeaways from the win.

Christoph Tilly was the difference-maker

Fifteen days ago, the Buckeyes were run off the floor by Iowa.

Ohio State lost 74-57 and was outscored in the paint by 26. Tilly missed that game with a calf injury.

Back in the lineup Thursday, the senior delivered one of his best performances in a Buckeye uniform.

“Having a seven-foot playmaker out there helps,” Diebler said when asked about the difference between the two matchups.

Tilly scored 16 points, his highest total in more than a month, and added four rebounds for an Ohio State team that was outsized by the Hawkeyes. Unlike their first matchup, Ohio State dominated Iowa in the paint, outscoring the Hawkeyes by 16 points.

The forward’s 12 first-half points kept the Buckeyes afloat offensively, as Tilly generated offense by repeatedly getting to the free-throw line six times while also attacking the rim.

In a half where Ohio State’s backcourt duo of Thornton and John Mobley Jr. combined for just seven points, Tilly provided the offensive spark the Buckeyes desperately needed.

“Christoph was really a help for us,” Bynum said. “Especially in the paint and finishing over people.”

Bruce Thornton got the best of Bennett Stirtz

Two top-five scorers in the Big Ten.

Two All-Big Ten selections.

Two of the best point guards in the country.

Bennett Stirtz and Thornton went toe to toe all afternoon on both ends of the floor. Unlike the Buckeyes’ previous meeting with Iowa, Thornton won the matchup.

Ohio State’s senior leader scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Thornton also served as the primary defender on Stirtz, holding the Iowa guard, who averages 20.1 points per game, to 17.

In the teams’ first meeting this season, Stirtz scored 22 points while helping hold Thornton to just 10.

Thursday, the script flipped.

“He’s special,” Diebler said. “I think he’s one of the absolute best guards in the country and we’re blessed to have him on our side.”

Buckeyes getting hot at the right time

Ohio State is playing its best basketball at the most important time of the season.

With Thursday’s win, the Buckeyes have now won four straight games, their longest winning streak against high-major opponents since Diebler took over as full-time head coach.

Since Ohio State’s Feb. 25 loss to Iowa, Ohio State has surged, ranking ninth nationally in Bart Torvik’s efficiency metrics over that stretch.

Along with the improved play, the Buckeyes are almost back to full strength, with forward Brandon Noel, who’s been out since Jan. 5 with a foot injury, expected to be back before the NCAA Tournament begins.

“All the stuff you want at this time of the year, we have,” Diebler said.

Ohio State will play Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals at noon EST Friday.