The Hawkeyes picked up their first win against an AP Top 25 foe Saturday, downing the No. 19 Ohio State Buckeyes, 75-62.
Iowa men's basketball bounced back from a home loss to Michigan with a road win over No. 18 Ohio State on Saturday.
The Hawkeyes defeated the Buckeyes 75–62 for their first-ranked win of the season. The win over Ohio State gives Iowa its first Quadrant 1 victory of the season—a significant boost for the Hawkeyes' NCAA Tournament resume. The win is Iowa's third Big Ten victory on the road in 2021-22.
Iowa's defense proved crucial in beating Ohio State. The Hawkeyes let the Buckeyes shoot more than 50 percent off the floor in the first half, with Ohio State scoring just 24 second-half points.
Ohio State also made seven turnovers in the second half, which Iowa managed to convert to 10 points. Iowa scored 17-5 in the second half, giving them a 13-point lead.
Iowa's 3-point defense was also in full force, as the Hawkeyes only allowed two made 3-pointers throughout the competition.
Iowa sophomore forward Keegan Murray contributed to the Hawkeyes' winning effort with a 24-point performance. Chris Murray had 11 points and eight rebounds. Senior point guard Jordan Bohannon recorded 11 points.
"What's impressive about it is that he does it in so many ways," Iowa head coach Fran McCaffrey said of Keegan Murray postgame. "When you have a guy like him who can make big buckets and get you back in the game, it's a gamechanger."
Big picture
Iowa is back above .500 in Big Ten play with an 8-7 conference record. The Hawkeyes are 18-8 on aggregate in 2022.
Iowa is now 1-4 against the ranking competition this season.
Dominate the mirror
Iowa improved to 15–0 this season when it overcame its opposition. The Hawkeyes slammed the boards against the Buckeyes, winning the rebounding fight, 40–31. The Hawkeyes' 40 boards included 20 offensive rebounds, which Iowa used to create 15 more shooting opportunities than Ohio State.
Chris Murray led with eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Patrick McCaffrey crashed the glass with four consecutive offensive rebounds. Five different hockey players caught at least four boards.
"We were beating downhill, and they hit the rim twice," McCaffrey said. "We really dug into the personnel and the things we set out to do against this team."
Next
Iowa has a two-day turnaround before facing Michigan State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday.
The Iowa men's basketball program will retire former Hawkeye Luca Garza's No. 55 at halftime. Garza will be honored with several retirement ceremonies.
Former Hawkeyes Roy Marble, Murray Weir and Chuck Darling will also retire their jerseys at a pregame ceremony.