Ohio State Buckeyes vs Iowa Hawkeyes
Thornton scores 24 and Ohio State holds off late rally by Iowa for 72-69 win at Big Ten Tournament
CHICAGO -- — Bruce Thornton had 24 points, John Mobley Jr. scored all 12 of his points in the second half, and No. 8 seed Ohio State held off a late rally by No. 9 seed Iowa for a 72-69 victory Thursday in the third round of the Big Ten Tournament.
Ohio State (21-11) advances to play top-seeded and third-ranked Michigan in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Thornton had a personal 10-0 run to give Ohio State its largest lead of the game at 51-35 with 13:55 remaining.
But Iowa rallied down the stretch to get within 70-69 with 38.7 seconds left.
Ohio State worked the clock down before Thornton drove into the lane for a shot that rolled off the rim. Amare Bynum's putback attempt did not go, but Ohio State secured the rebound, and Mobley was fouled before making two free throws for a three-point lead with 8 seconds left.
Iowa got past midcourt to call a timeout with 7.2 left. Brendan Hausen's 3-point attempt from the corner did not hit the rim, but Iowa got another chance after Ohio State missed the front end of a 1-and-1.
Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras missed a free throw in the closing seconds, but Isaia Howard stole the rebound and ran out to the 3-point arc for a shot that hit off the back of the rim as time expired.
Bennett Stirtz led Iowa (21-12) with 17 points.
Ohio State lost both regular-season meetings with Michigan by double figures, most recently an 82-61 contest at home on Feb. 8.
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Game Information
Chicago, IL
Referee:Brian Dorsey
Referee:Jeffrey Anderson
Referee:Andy O'Brien
2025-26 Standings
| Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 19-1 | - | 37-3 |
| Nebraska | 15-5 | 4 | 28-7 |
| Michigan State | 15-5 | 4 | 27-8 |
| Illinois | 15-5 | 4 | 28-9 |
| Wisconsin | 14-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Purdue | 13-7 | 6 | 30-9 |
| UCLA | 13-7 | 6 | 24-12 |
| Ohio State | 12-8 | 7 | 21-13 |
| Iowa | 10-10 | 9 | 24-13 |
| Indiana | 9-11 | 10 | 18-14 |
| Minnesota | 8-12 | 11 | 15-18 |
| USC | 7-13 | 12 | 18-14 |
| Washington | 7-13 | 12 | 16-17 |
| Rutgers | 6-14 | 13 | 14-20 |
| Northwestern | 5-15 | 14 | 15-19 |
| Oregon | 5-15 | 14 | 12-20 |
| Maryland | 4-16 | 15 | 12-21 |
| Penn State | 3-17 | 16 | 12-20 |
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