COLUMBUS Ohio State ended a three-game home losing streak with a commanding 82-65 win over Iowa on Monday, thanks to a strong second-half performance by Micah Parrish, who finished with 18 points, including 11 in the latter half.
The Buckeyes (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) were coming off a significant road win against No. 11 Purdue, and Parrishs effort helped them get back on track at home. He also pulled down six rebounds. Bruce Thornton added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Devin Royal contributed 12 points and eight boards. John Mobley Jr. scored 12 points and dished out eight assists.
Iowa (13-8, 4-6) was led by Drew Thelwell, who shot 8-for-10 and finished with 20 points, including three three-pointers. Owen Freeman chipped in 14 points and eight rebounds, and Seydou Traore and Payton Sandfort each scored 13. Sandfort three 3-pointers helped him tie assistant coach Matt Gatens for third place on Iowa all-time list for career three-pointers.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with eight lead changes and three ties. Ohio State took a narrow 30-26 lead into halftime, with Mobley and Parrish each scoring seven points. Thelwell and Freeman combined for 22 of Iowa 26 first-half points, keeping the game tight.
In the second half, Ohio State took control with an 11-3 run to start, giving them a 12-point lead. After Sandfort hit a three to reduce the deficit to nine, Thornton answered with a three-pointer of his own, and Sean Stewart added a steal and dunk as part of a 9-0 run that extended the lead to 50-32. Stewart’s layup with 8:49 remaining pushed the lead to 62-39, marking Ohio States largest margin of the game.
The Buckeyes will next face Penn State on Thursday, while Iowa prepares to host No. 10 Purdue on February 4.
