By Danielle Daniels

3 12 2025

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Bruce Thornton scored 24 points and dished-out nine assists but Ohio State wasn’t able to get over the hump in a 77-70 loss to Iowa in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Thornton scored 17 of his 24 in the second half and seemed to will the Buckeye comeback down the stretch. This was his 13th 20-point game of the season.

The Buckeyes trailed by seven three different times in the final four minutes. Thornton scored the team’s final seven points, including five consecutive points to pull the Buckeyes within two at 72-70 with 49 seconds to go. But Iowa got a huge three-pointer at the end of the shot clock to seal the win.

Devin Royal scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds while Micah Parrish added 16 points and a pair of steals.

It was a slow shooting start for both teams as they combined to miss the first 11 shots. But Iowa was able to find its footing and ended up shooting 54.7 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from long range. The shooting from distance was the difference. The Buckeyes made five fewer threes and shot just 22.7 percent from three-point range.

After the slow start, the first half was back-and-forth as there were nine ties and 10 lead changes. Iowa took its largest lead right before halftime, but a John Mobley Jr. three-pointer tied the game, and the Buckeyes got a stop to head to the locker room with a bit of momentum.

Iowa used a 6-0 run to build a 54-46 lead and the Buckeyes were playing catch up the rest of the way. A Parrish three-point play tied the game at 61-61 with 7:25 to go. Iowa then responded with a 7-0 run, capped but its ninth three-pointer of the game. Thornton had the hot hand in the closing moments but Iowa made the key plays down the stretch.

Up Next

The Buckeyes will wait until Selection Sunday to find out their postseason fate.

COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS