The Ohio State Buckeyes are into the quarterfinals in Minneapolis.
Behind yet another big second half from senior forward Jamison Battle, Ohio State defeated Iowa 90-78 to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the Big Ten Tournament. This was the Buckeyes’ sixth win under interim head coach Jake Diebler.
The Buckeyes started off hot from all over. Sophomore guard Bruce Thornton led the way with back-to-back 3-pointers, heading Ohio State to a 10-2 run early. Even though Ohio State was playing good perimeter defense, Iowa junior forward Payton Sandfort hit two 3s of his own to bring the Hawkeyes back within two.
Regardless, Ohio State started off 5-5 from downtown, led by Thornton and freshman guard Scotty Middleton. Middleton finished the half on a perfect 3/3 on catch-and-shoot 3s and 11 points.
Thornton, despite only scoring 14, dished out a career-high nine assists to complement Battle’s 23 points and nine rebounds.
The Buckeyes’ bench also continued to hit, putting up 37 total. Sandfort’s 19 wasn’t enough, along with senior guard Tony Perkins’ 13.
Diebler and his squad take on Illinois in the quarterfinals Friday at 6:30 p.m. EST, streaming on Big Ten Network.