Buckeyes Survive Nail-biter to Advance in Big Ten Tournament

No. 8 seed Ohio State held off a furious late push from No. 9 seed Iowa to secure a 72-69 victory and advance in the TIAA Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament. A game that seemed decided with 13 minutes left turned into a possession-by-possession thriller.

Iowa landed the first punch, opening with an 8-2 run. Ohio State fought back by attacking the rim with 22 first-half paint points, and Christoph Tilly provided a huge spark. He scored 12 first-half points, and a late 6-0 burst from him and Bruce Thornton gave the Buckeyes a 34-30 halftime lead.

After the break, Thornton broke the game open with a solo 10-0 run, pushing Ohio State's lead to a commanding 51-35.

But the Hawkeyes refused to quit. An 8-0 run cut the deficit to seven, and consecutive three-pointers in the final minutes made it a three-point game. The tension peaked when Bennett Stirtz's free throws pulled Iowa within one, 70-69, in the last 40 seconds. John Mobley Jr. answered with two clutch free throws for the Buckeyes, making it 72-69 with 7.2 seconds left. Iowa's final three-point attempt to force overtime missed, allowing Ohio State to survive and advance.

No. 8 seed Ohio State advances to take on No. 1 seed Michigan in the quarterfinals at 11 a.m. CT tomorrow on Big Ten Network. The Wolverines won both of this season's installments in the iconic rivalry, holding OSU to under 63 points in each meeting. Will Bruce Thornton and the Buckeyes break through to pull of the upset? We'll find out tomorrow. Want to see the rematch in person in Chicago?  Click here .

Full game breakdown below. 👇 Get  more tournament stories here .

First Half: Tilly leads OSU to halftime lead

• Iowa opens the game with an 8-2 run with scores from three different Hawkeyes! (16:27).
• Five of the Buckeyes' first seven points come from free throws, three from Christoph Tilly, to make it 12-7 Hawkeyes (11:23).
• Ohio State's all-time leading scorer Bruce Thornton gets his first points of the game at 10:06. 13-11 Hawkeyes halfway through the first.
• Unlike yesterday, Bennett Stirtz gets on the board right away with seven of the Hawkeyes' first 16 points. They hold a five-point advantage (8:37).
• Both teams score, with Amare Bynum netting six for the Buckeyes to take a 21-20 lead! (5:10).
• Iowa and Ohio State trade leads before the Buckeyes pull away with a 6-0 run courtesy of Thornton and Tilly! They lead 30-25 with 1:28 remaining.
• After a few more buckets, Ohio State takes a 34-30 advantage into halftime.
• Notable: Tilly ends the half with 12 points for OSU. His season average per game is 11.

Second Half: Comeback creates chaos

• Thornton and Tilly are back at it again! Ohio State increases its lead to eight points at the first media timeout. 43-35 Buckeyes (15:53).
• Notable: Stirtz hasn't scored yet in the second half.
• Notable: The Buckeyes are owning the paint. They've outscored Iowa 28-10 down low with 65% of their buckets coming from the lane.
• THORNTON GOES ON A 10-0 RUN ALL BY HIMSELF. He's shooting 9-of-10 from the field. 🤯 Buckeyes lead 51-35 with 13:55 to go.
• Tate Sage breaks up OSU's spurt, and Cam Manyawu slams one down to pull Iowa within 11 (12:07).
• Iowa goes on an 8-0 run to make it 58-51 OSU with 8:09 remaining. 👀 Half of the points come from Manyawu, who has nine on the day.
• The Hawkeyes throw punches, but Ohio State responds each time. The Buckeyes maintain a 68-62 edge with 3:33 to go.
• Cooper Koch and Alvaro Folgueiras hit consecutive threes for Iowa before Tavion Banks dunks to make it a three-point game with 1:22 remaining!
• Stirtz earns a trip to the charity stripe and drills them both. 70-69 OSU with 38 seconds to go. 😳
• John Mobley Jr. responds with two clutch free throws of his own for the Buckeyes. They lead 72-69 with 7.2 seconds on the clock. Iowa basketball.
• Isaia Howard had a chance for the Hawkeyes from the corner, but it bounces off the rim.
• Ohio State SURVIVES AND ADVANCES! Final score, 72-69.

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