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So far so good for Ohio State basketball’s burgeoning chances of elbowing its way into the NCAA Tournament. In a second round Big Ten Tournament matchup the Buckeyes absolutely had to have against Iowa, the Buckeyes controlled most of the game and won 90-78.
OSU started well out of the gate, keeping a modest lead most of the way through the first half thanks to a continuation of the more up-tempo pace on offense we’ve seen under interim head coach Jake Diebler. Ohio State took a 43-38 lead into halftime.
In the second half, Jamison Battle found a rhythm he didn’t have in a scoreless first 20 minutes for him, with 23 points coming in the last 20 minutes. That, in combination with solid defense from the Buckeyes, resulted in OSU taking control of the game and keeping the Hawkeyes from ever really threatening the rest of the game.
Now Ohio State will continue its journey in trying to get onto the bubble. The win against Iowa won’t likely be enough, but one more — perhaps an upset of No. 2 seed Illinois — might be enough. Surely, a run to the Big Ten Championship game would do it.
B1G Win. #Team125 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/RaRYlTpjSs
— Ohio State Hoops
(@OhioStateHoops) March 15, 2024
The win gives OSU 20 wins on the season to 12 losses, unthinkable just a few weeks ago. The Buckeyes will do battle with the Illini Friday at 6:30 PM ET.
The belief is there.
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By: Phil Harrison
Title: Ohio State basketball takes down Iowa in its first game of Big Ten Tournament
Sourced From: buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/2024/03/14/ohio-state-basketball-takes-beats-iowa-in-first-game-of-big-ten-tournament-buckeyes/
Published Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2024 00:43:54 +0000
