IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa men’s basketball team downed Ohio State, 92-75, on Thursday night on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Hawkeyes avenged a Jan. 26 loss at Ohio State in dominate fashion to improve to 9-6 in Big Ten Conference play, including nine wins in its last 12 outings.
Iowa trailed by one point with under three minutes left to play in the first half before four different Hawkeyes drilled triples to end the period on a 12-0 run and head into the locker room up 47-36.
Sharp-Shooter Sandfort 🏹@payton_20_ x #Hawkeyes
— Iowa Men’s Basketball (@IowaHoops) February 17, 2023
Iowa cruised in the second half, never letting the 11-point halftime lead dip and eventually extending its advantage as high as 28 points.
Five Hawkeyes reached double-figures scoring, led by junior Tony Perkins with 24 points on 11-of-16 (69 percent) shooting. Perkins, whose 11 field goals mark a career-high (10 vs. Maryland, 1/15/23), also added two rebounds, two assists and a steal against the Buckeyes.
Junior Kris Murray piled on 20 points of his own on 8-of-13 (62 percent) shooting from the floor and a 3-of-6 effort from behind the arc. Murray hauled in five rebounds, two steals, two blocks and an assist to round out his game.
Junior Ahron Ulis scored a dozen vs. Ohio State, while fifth year Filip Rebraca and sophomore Payton Sandfort were each good for 10 points.
Graduate student Connor McCaffery led the game with a career-best 13 assists (10 at Maryland, 1/7/21) and six rebounds. The Hawkeye veteran also scored seven points and snagged two steals on Thursday night.
“There are definitely times when you are in the zone as a passer, just like as a shooter,” says Connor McCaffery. “Just seeing things, seeing cutters. I have to credit my teammates, as well, because if they are not cutting, if they are not running in transition or making shots, that doesn’t happen. Tonight, all those things were happening, so I was pretty locked in.”
Iowa shot 57 percent (37-of-65) from the floor, including 10 treys on 27 tries (37 percent). The Hawkeyes outrebounded Ohio State, 30-22, including an 11-2 margin on the offensive glass.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH FRAN MCCAFFERY
“I thought it was our defensive intensity. We got a couple steals and our typical moving and sharing the ball. It’s what we do. That continued, and the defense was better in the second half. 23 assists and seven turns. When we lost up there [at Ohio State], we turned it over 14 times, remember. You can’t do that. Certainly, can’t do that on the road…
I said to Connor [McCaffery] after the game, I have never seen that (13 assists). Really impressive game by him on a number of different levels. He just calmed everybody down, drove it, got in the bonus, flashed in the high post when they went zone and just made plays from there. He brings it up against the press, guarding really good players. He was spectacular tonight.
Filip [Rebraca] and Patrick [McCaffery] were sick for the last two days, so really impressive effort by both of them. I didn’t know what we would get out of them. Filip was great, he just got in foul trouble. I was going to go back to him, but with what he has been through the last few days I kept him out. Patrick seemed to be ok, so I let him play through it. He needs to get his legs back under him.”
HAWKEYE NOTABLES
- Iowa won for the eighth time in its last 11 games, dating back to Jan. 5.
- Iowa has won six of the last seven overall games against the Gophers.
- Kris Murray posted his sixth double-double of the season totaling game highs in points (28) and rebounds (14), to go along with three steals, two assists, and two blocks. Murray’s 14 rebounds are the second most he has had this season and most against a conference opponent (20 vs. Georgia Tech).
- Filip Rebraca amassed 16 points and eight rebounds, reaching 15+ points in 10 of Iowa’s last 15 contests.
- Tony Perkins tied a career high with six assists, while also collecting seven points and seven rebounds.
- The Hawkeyes collected a season-high 11 steals for the second consecutive game (11 at No. 1 Purdue).
- Iowa dominated the offensive glass, grabbing 17 offensive rebounds to only two for Minnesota (+15). The two offensive rebounds allowed equaled a season low for a Hawkeye opponent (2 at Penn State).
- Fran McCaffery has now won 123 regular season Big Ten games, three behind Tom Davis (126) for the most in program history.
- The Hawkeyes recorded their third true road win of the season ((Seton Hall; Rutgers).
- Today was the only regular season meeting between the two teams.
- Iowa has played on Super Bowl Sunday each of the past four seasons and six of the last eight years.
UP NEXT
Iowa (17-9, 9-6) returns to action on Sunday at Northwestern (19-7, 10-5). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:37 p.m. (CT) at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois.
