Hawkeyes Secure Crucial Win at Ohio St.

Iowa Basketball Continues Good Fortune in Columbus

Iowa's Filip Rebraca (bottom) competes for a loose ball with Ohio State's Malaki Branham (22) during a game on Feb. 19, 2022 at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports)

Iowa’s basketball team had lost eight consecutive times to Ohio State heading into a game at Columbus in January of 2014.

The Hawkeyes were ranked 20th, but the Buckeyes were No. 3 and had a nine-point lead with less than 13 minutes to play.

Iowa had missed nine of 10 3-point attempts in the game at that point. But Mike Gesell, Aaron White and Jarrod Uthoff made triples on the next three possessions and Iowa went on to snap the losing streak with authority, 84-74.

It was Iowa’s first road victory over a Top Five team since winning at No. 2 Missouri in December of 2001, 83-65. It also snapped a streak of nine straight losses to Top 25 teams. And even though the Hawkeyes would lose five of their last six regular-season games, the signature win at Ohio State was pivotal in making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006.

Goodbye Columbus, hello respect.

Since that streak-snapping day, Iowa is 8-6 against Ohio State. The Hawkeyes now lead the all-time series, 83-82. Fran McCaffery-coached Iowa teams have won 11 Big Ten road games against rated foes. Four of them have come in Columbus after Saturday’s 75-62 victory over the No. 18 Buckeyes.

Three of those Iowa teams have made the NCAA Tournament. This Hawkeye team, now 8-7 in the Big Ten and 18-8 overall, is in great shape to make it four-for-four. A victory over Michigan State Tuesday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena wouldn’t hurt their chances.

After a crushing 84-79 loss to Michigan less than 48 hours earlier, Iowa’s NCAA hopes were bolstered by the best victory of the season on Saturday. It was also Ohio State’s first home loss this year.

Keegan Murray scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half, Kris Murray scored all 11 of his points in the second half, Jordan Bohannon scored seven of his 10 points the second half and Connor McCaffery put the game away with a clutch 3 at the 1:44 mark. McCaffery’s basket, on a third-chance possession, was set up by a nifty dribble-drive by point guard Ahron Ulis that sucked in two defenders and left McCaffery open on the right wing..

Iowa was the tougher team Saturday. And it’s fitting that Connor McCaffery’s shot was the final dagger because no one symbolizes toughness more than him.

Connor was 10 years old when he watched his dad’s Siena team beat Ohio State in a first-round NCAA Tournament game. Ronald Moore hit a 3-pointer to force a second overtime, then made another triple from the same spot ro win the game, 74-72.

Connor was also part of Iowa’s 73-57 victory in Columbus last season. Iowa entered that game ranked 12th. Ohio State was No. 4. Both teams would earn No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.

The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 42-28 halftime lead, withstood a 14-2 run by the Buckeyes to start the second half and recorded their best victory of the season. Luka Garza had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Joe Wieskamp scored 19 points and made five 3-pointers. The last one, with 7:59 on the clock, deflated any chance of a Buckeye comeback.

Another of his triples, in the first half, came off an assist from Bohannon. It wasn’t just any assist. It was the one that let Bohannon pass Jeff Horner as the school’s career assist leader. It also came on a play that Connor McCaffery suggested they run during the preceding timeout. Ohio State scored 14 points in the first 3:11 of the second half, but just 15 the rest of the game.

Iowa’s other victory in Columbus under Fran McCaffery came in December of 2014, 71-65. The Buckeyes were ranked 20th.

The Hawkeyes scored on 10 of their first 11 possessions of the game and had a 13-point advantage at halftime. Ohio State got within three points with 3:25 to play, but Josh Oglesby’s jumper from the lane and a Uthoff 3-pointer got Iowa to the finish line. Uthoff and White both scored 18 points in the victory.

McCaffery-coached Iowa teams have won in every opposing Big Ten arena during his 12 years running the program. Iowa has won five times at Northwestern; four times at Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota and Rutgers; three times at Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Maryland; twice at Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska; and once at Purdue.

In addition to the four victories over four rated Ohio State teams on the road, McCaffery has coached three of his teams to road victories against rated Wisconsin teams. He’s also won on the road against rated Purdue, Michigan State, Rutgers and Maryland teams. Three of those victories came against Top 10 teams - the 2014 and 2021 victories at Ohio State and the 2016 victory at No. 4 Michigan State.