Iowa possesses the highest-scoring offense within the convention and the nation’s third-most environment friendly unit within the nation, per KenPom. To not point out, the Hawkeyes have been taking part in at dwelling, the place they’d solely misplaced two video games all season.

However solely two Large Ten groups have given up extra factors to Iowa in 2022-23 than Ohio State did in a efficiency that marks its singular lowest second of the season, defensively talking.

The Buckeyes gave up 92 factors to the Hawkeyes, who hit 56.9% of their pictures and 37% of their 3-point makes an attempt in opposition to Ohio State. Iowa completed with 23 assists, outrebounded Ohio State by eight, outscored the Buckeyes 44-36 within the paint and closed the 17-point blowout with a 15-4 edge in second-chance factors.

It was probably the most factors and highest capturing proportion Ohio State has allowed all season.

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Within the Buckeyes’ earlier outing, it was the offense that failed to point out up. Michigan State was restricted to only 62 factors in Columbus on Sunday, however Ohio State scored its fewest factors in 27 years (41). The Buckeyes mustered simply 14 within the first half in opposition to the Spartans and shot all of 28.3% from the ground for the afternoon.

That wasn’t the case on Thursday. Ohio State truly scored extra factors within the first seven minutes in opposition to Iowa than it did in the whole first half Sunday, and it had greater than twice as many with 7:31 to go earlier than the intermission.

By recreation’s finish, Ohio State tallied its most factors in seven video games and its second-highest single-game subject objective proportion of the season. The Buckeyes knocked down 57.1% of their pictures in Carver-Hawkeye Area, a mark it solely bested in opposition to Maine again on Dec. 21.

However none of that mattered as a result of the Buckeye protection was lifeless on arrival in Iowa Metropolis.

Iowa began the sport with 9 makes on its first 12 pictures. Ohio State hung robust with a sizzling begin of its personal and even held the lead for greater than three minutes of the opening interval. However as the primary half waned, the holes within the Buckeye protection solely grew more and more evident.

Ohio State missed 5 of its ultimate six pictures to shut the half, and Iowa nailed 4 straight 3-pointers to embark on a 12-0 run that put the Buckeyes down double digits at halftime. Within the ultimate 5:30 of the primary 20 minutes, it was a 15-3 stretch for the Hawkeyes.

It wasn’t the primary time Ohio State’s crumbled on the finish of the primary half in a stretch that each one however sealed its destiny. And by the seems of issues as of late, it received’t be the final.

Regardless of its 47-point outpour within the opening 20 minutes, Iowa’s 51.4% clip from the sector seemed modest compared to its second-half tempo. The Hawkeyes related on 64.3% of their pictures within the ultimate body. So did Ohio State, actually, but it surely allowed too many offensive rebounds, additional possessions and second-chance alternatives to meaningfully chip into the lead.

The Hawkeye benefit grew to as many as 28 factors with 5:30 to play, but it surely felt insurmountable lengthy earlier than that.

5 Iowa gamers completed with 10 or extra factors, and two had 20-plus. Tony Perkins and Kris Murray mixed to attain 44 factors on 65.5% from the sector and 55.6% from 3-point vary. Perkins, who was held to only eight factors within the first assembly, led Iowa with 24 factors on Thursday.

Any success Ohio State loved in final month’s Iowa recreation has been rendered irrelevant by the seven losses which have adopted. The prospect of a win feels leagues away for the Buckeyes, who’ve now dropped 12 of their final 13. The prospect of a win feels leagues away for the Buckeyes, who’ve now dropped seven in a row and 12 of their final 13.

With 12 losses in Large Ten play alone this season, Chris Holtmann has already tied probably the most regular-season convention defeats of his six-year tenure in Columbus. So far as that document is worried, it does not look like factor that 5 Large Ten video games stay for the Buckeyes earlier than the beginning of the convention event.

A betting man may pencil in one other loss forward of Ohio State’s subsequent affair. In a visit to West Lafayette in lower than three days, the Buckeyes face a Purdue workforce that’s held the No. 1 rating within the nation for a lot of the season – and in one of many nation’s most hostile environments.

By no means thoughts that the Boilermakers have now misplaced three video games of their final 4. Even a Purdue workforce that’s seemed like a shell of itself as of late figures to be lots extra put collectively than Ohio State, which might nonetheless fall to final place within the Large Ten standings earlier than all is alleged and completed.