IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) –Adam Haluska scored 33 points, Tyler Smith had 18 and Iowa held off a furious Indiana rally in the final two minutes to beat the Hoosiers 81-75 Saturday.
The Hawkeyes (13-10, 5-4 Big Ten) led 68-60 with 2:17 to go, but the Hoosiers chipped away down the stretch, getting to within two points when Earl Calloway sank a short jumper with 20 seconds to go.
But the Hawkeyes were clutch from the free throw line in the final minutes, hitting 15-of-16 to hold on and win back-to-back games for the first time since the start of the Big Ten season.
Indiana, coming off an emotional home win Wednesday over No. 2 Wisconsin, led most of the first half and the early portion of the second. But the Hoosiers struggled on the boards and were hobbled most of the game by foul trouble to key players like D.J. White and A.J. Ratliff.
Roderick Wilmont led the Hoosiers (16-6, 6-3) with 24 points, including 6-of-12 shooting from behind the 3-point stripe.
Calloway had 16 points and Ratliff chipped in 15 points before fouling out in the final minute. The Hoosiers shot 48.1 percent and 74 percent from the free-throw line.
The Hawkeyes dominated on the boards, winning the battle 42 to 15. Iowa had 15 offensive rebounds, including a team-high nine from Smith. The Hawkeyes shot 40.4 percent from the field and finished 32-of-37 from the free-throw line.
Haluska was 9-of-17 shooting and 10-of-11 from the free throw line and Smith hit all 10 of his attempts from the stripe, including six straight down the stretch.
The game was tight, intense and physical throughout and the lead traded hands 13 times.
But the Hawkeyes grabbed the lead for good when Haluska sank a 3-pointer with 13:42 to go, putting Iowa up 49-48.
D.J. White, who burned the Hawkeyes for 23 points and 12 rebounds in Indiana’s victory in Bloomington last month, was held to just six points, three rebounds and spent most of the second half on the bench after picking up his fourth at 11:47.
The Hawkeyes stretched the lead to 64-56 with 5:08 to go when Haluska sank three free throws after being fouled by Ratliff while taking a 3-pointer. Iowa went back up 68-60 and seemed n control when Smith sank a pair of free throws with 2:17 left.
But the Hoosiers fought back, led by a smothering backcourt press, forced a few turnovers and began to close the gap. Calloway sank a pair of free throws to cut Iowa’s lead to four with 45 seconds left, then his floater 20 seconds later made it 77-75.
But Smith answered with a pair of free throws on the other end. On Indiana’s next possession, Wilmont missed a desperation 3-pointer with nine seconds left, and Haluska grabbed the rebound and sank the ensuing foul shots to seal the win.