No. 16 Ohio State Falls to Iowa in 67-62 Battle – Ohio State Buckeyes
1/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2006
Box Score | Notes
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Adam Haluska scored 18 points to lead Iowa to a 67-62 victory over No. 16 Ohio State on Saturday night, putting the unranked Hawkeyes into a four-way tie atop the Big Ten.
The win gave the Hawkeyes (16-5, 5-2 Big Ten) their second victory over a ranked opponent this week. Iowa knocked off Indiana 73-60 in Iowa City on Tuesday.
Haluska scored just two points in the second half, but he made them count. With 25 seconds remaining, he sank a pair of free throws to put Iowa up 65-62.
After an errant Buckeye pass rolled out of bounds, Jeff Horner was fouled and sank both free throws with 16 seconds left, clinching the Hawkeyes’ 13th straight home victory this season.
Ron Lewis scored 19 points to lead the Buckeyes (14-3, 4-3). Terence Dials scored 16 points, but was held to just one field goal in the second half.
The Hawkeyes shot 42 percent and held the Buckeyes to 35 percent shooting. It was another typical game for Iowa’s defense, which came into the game allowing opponents to shoot just 37 percent, fourth best in the nation.
The Buckeyes, ranked seventh in the nation in 3-point percentage at 41.4, shot 37 percent from behind the arc and were held without a field goal in the final six minutes.
The victory allowed Iowa to move into a tie with Wisconsin, Illionis and Michigan atop the conference.
Ohio State trailed 40-36 at the half, but stormed back early in the second. The Buckeyes grabbed their first lead since the opening minute when Lewis hit a wide-open 3-pointer at the 13:15 mark. Je’Kel Foster stole a pass on the following possession and scored on a lay-up to put the Buckeyes up 51-47.
Lewis, who hit four 3-pointers, struck again with 6:34 remaining, hitting another 3 to put Ohio State back in front 61-58. But Iowa’s defense stiffened down the stretch, allowing just one point after Lewis’ basket.
The Hawkeyes also struggled offensively in the final minutes. Greg Brunner’s short jumper with 6:02 to go was the last Iowa field goal of the game.
But Iowa made up for it at the free throw line, hitting 7-of-8 in the final minutes.
Brunner finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. Doug Thomas provided a spark off the bench with 10 points and helped keep Dials in check in the second half.
Both teams got off to a frenzied start.
Haluska hit his first three shots and Brunner’s lay-in at 16:11 gave the Hawkeyes their biggest lead 12-6.
Dials scored 10 points in the first six minutes and drew two early fouls on Iowa center Erek Hansen.
