The Hawkeyes had two chances to send the game to overtime, but neither one dropped. Iowa's Big Ten Tournament run is over.
CHICAGO - Trailing 72-69 with 7.8 seconds to go, Iowa basketball had not one, but two chances to tie its game against Ohio State and play free basketball in the Big Ten tournament.
It wasn't meant to be.
Brendan Hausen's desperation heave clanked off the top of the backboard, but the Hawkeyes still had one more opportunity to tie it. Alvaro Folgueiras missed the front end of his one-and-one, but the ball ricocheted to Isaia Howard.
His fadeaway triple was on-line, but it was just too strong, ending Iowa's chances for a March miracle and eliminating it from the Big Ten tournament.
Bennett Stirtz was the lone Hawkeye to reach double figures, but that was because the Hawkeyes boasted a balanced scoring attack. Every Iowa player except Hausen scored on Thursday, but the difference in this one was the defensive end of the floor.
Led by leading scorer Bruce Thornton, Ohio State simply couldn't miss in this one. The Buckeyes shot 55% from the floor and collected 36 points in the paint.
First Half
Ohio State jumped out to a 14-2 lead on Iowa when both teams met in Iowa City on Feb. 25, but there was no such instance on Thursday. The Hawkeyes were the aggressor from the get-go, making 3 of their first 6 field goals and holding the Buckeyes nearly four minutes without a field goal.
Ohio State's only offense in the early going was at the free throw line. It made 5 of its first 6 attempts from the stripe, but the Buckeyes' dependence to get to the line boded well for Iowa.
After the Hawkeyes jumped to a 12-6 lead, their offense stalled out for a few minutes. With Cam Manyawu and Tavion Banks in foul trouble, Ohio State used its size to generate offense in the paint, and the strategy worked. The Buckeyes made their next seven buckets to take a 21-20 lead with roughly four minutes left in the half.
Desperate for size, McCollum was forced to bring in freshman Trevin Jirak. The 6-foot-11 center has played sparingly this year, but he played a key role in keeping Iowa in the game - making a pair of free throws and serving a pretty pass to Isaia Howard for a three.
Ohio State threatened to extend its lead to double digits late in the half, but a Cooper Koch triple and a Bennett Stirtz layup helped Iowa go into the locker room down by just four, 34-30.
Though the Buckeyes' offense struggled out of the gate, they finished with a scorching 57% clip from the floor. Interior offense remained the catalyst for Ohio State, as it went 11-for-13 in the paint in the period.
Second Half
McCollum's halftime adjustment plan likely centered on slowing the Buckeyes down in the paint. Iowa attempted to do just that to begin the second half, but once it brought the double team in the paint, Ohio State's shot makers had plenty of room to work with on the outside. The Buckeyes led 43-35 at the first media timeout as a result.
Making matters worse, Stirtz appeared to injure himself early in the half, and took a rare seat on the bench. He was back on the floor a few possessions later when the Hawkeyes produced a spark of momentum with a mini 5-0 scoring run to make it 51-40 Ohio State with 11:56 to play.
The Buckeyes called timeout to stem the tide, and star point guard Bruce Thornton continued to make every shot he took. It felt like Iowa was out of the game by this point, but the resurgent Hawkeyes were determined to make this a game.
They did just that, orchestrating an 8-0 run to slice the OSU lead down to 58-51 with 7:54 remaining. A pair of Alvaro Folgueiras free throws cut the deficit to a six points, but Thornton and Co. continued to make plays. Iowa again fought back and had a 3-on-1 fast break to make it a four-point game, but Howard dribbled the ball off his leg.
Howard's frustrated look said it all, but that didn't deter the Hawks from making one final push. A Banks dunk made it a three-point game just inside of a minute to play, and Iowa had one final chance to tie the game and send it to overtime.
It didn't happen, and the Hawkeyes were eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament.
Up Next
Iowa will now turn its attention to the NCAA tournament, where it will likely hear its name called for the first time in three seasons. The NCAA Selection Show, held on Sunday, will begin at 5 p.m. on CBS.