COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sophomore Keegan Murray poured in a game-high 24 points as the University of Iowa men’s basketball team downed No. 18 Ohio State, 75-62, on the road Saturday afternoon at Value City Arena.
The Big Ten’s leading scorer dropped 20 points in the first half to help the Hawkeyes overcome a slow start and take a 39-38 lead into halftime.
Things broke Iowa’s way in the second half when sixth-year senior Jordan Bohannon drew a foul as the shot clock expired and drained a pair of free throws from the line. The Hawkeyes were spurred to a 9-0 run and led the rest of the game.
A sublime two-handed slam from Keegan Murray followed by a dunk from brother Kris Murray on the subsequent possession put Iowa up 11 points with under seven minutes to play. The Iowa lead didn’t fall below six points from there, with a 3-pointer from senior Connor McCaffery helping to ice the game with under two minutes left.
Iowa out-rebounded the Buckeyes, 40-31, including a 20-12 advantage on the offensive glass. The Hawkeyes improve to 15-0 this season in games where they win the battle on the boards.
Ohio State was held 12 points below its season scoring average, while Iowa had the advantage in scoring margin for second-chance points (18-11) and points off turnovers (16-10).
Keegan Murray’s 24 points came on 10-of-17 shooting (59 percent). He also had five rebounds, two assists and a block in the game.
Kris Murray approached a double-double with 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block, while Bohannon finished with 10 points, including a pair of 3-point field goals.
QUOTING HEAD COACH FRAN MCCAFFERY
“I don’t think the defensive strategy was all that complicated. We were getting beat downhill. They got to the rim a couple times. Sometimes early on our shot selection wasn’t all that great. Things started to get away from us. We took a timeout and really dug into the things we had prepared to do against this team.
They want to get downhill. They want to throw down into the post. They have a multitude of guys who can score in the post. A lot of guys who can take you off the dribble. That’s why they’re really good…
I thought from that point forward, we contained penetration, we handled ball screen action better, we fought the post better, we made them take tough shots, and of course we rebounded. Our rebounding numbers were a big part of that comeback.”
NOTABLES
- Iowa notched its fifth victory of the season on the road, including its fourth true road win.
- Today is Iowa’s first victory over a ranked opponent this season (1-4).
- The Hawkeyes handed the Buckeyes their first home defeat of the season (11-1).
- The reigning Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week, Keegan Murray, netted 20 of his game-high 24 points in the first half. Murray also totaled five rebounds, two assists, one block, and zero turnovers in 36 minutes of action. He has scored 20+ points a Big Ten-best 18 times.
- Iowa has won its last two contests played against the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio (2021 & 2022).
- Iowa outrebounded Ohio State, 40-31, improving to 15-0 when outrebounding its foes this season. The Hawkeyes pulled down a season-high 20 rebounds.
- Iowa’s defense held Ohio State to just 2-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. The 11 attempts are a season low by an Iowa opponent this season, while the two 3-point field goal makes matches a low by an opponent in 2022 (Rutgers).
UP NEXT
Iowa (18-8, 8-7) returns home on Tuesday against Michigan State (18-8, 9-6). Tipoff is scheduled for 6:01 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Two-time All-American Luka Garza will have his No. 55 retired at halftime, while former Hawkeyes Murray Wier, Charles “Chuck” Darling, and Roy Marble will have their jerseys retired prior to Tuesday’s contest. Tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.