CHICAGO — Bruce Thornton delivered a standout performance with 24 points as Ohio State survived a late push from Iowa to secure a 72-69 victory in the third round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday.
The No. 8 seed Ohio State
Buckeyes improved to 21-11 on the season and will now face the top-seeded and third-ranked Michigan Wolverines in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Thornton controlled the momentum during a key stretch in the second half. He scored 10 straight points during a personal run that pushed Ohio State ahead 51-35 with 13:55 remaining, giving the Buckeyes their biggest lead of the night.
Iowa refused to fade. The No. 9 seed Hawkeyes battled back late in the game and trimmed the deficit to 70-69 with just 38.7 seconds left.
Ohio State slowed the pace on the next possession, allowing the clock to wind down before Thornton drove into the lane. His shot rolled off the rim, and Amare Bynum’s putback attempt also missed. However, the Buckeyes grabbed the rebound, and John Mobley Jr. was fouled shortly after. Mobley calmly knocked down both free throws with eight seconds remaining to extend the lead to three.
Iowa quickly advanced the ball past midcourt and called a timeout with 7.2 seconds left. Brendan Hausen attempted a corner three that missed the rim, but Iowa gained another opportunity after Ohio State failed to convert the front end of a one-and-one free throw.
In the final seconds, Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras missed a free throw. Isaia Howard secured the rebound and raced to the three-point line for a last-second attempt, but the shot bounced off the back rim as time expired.
John Mobley Jr. finished with 12 points, all scored in the second half, while Thornton led all scorers with 24.
Bennett Stirtz paced Iowa with 17 points as the Hawkeyes ended their tournament run with a 21-12 record.
Ohio State’s victory sets up a highly anticipated quarterfinal showdown against Michigan, one of the nation’s top-ranked teams.
