Micah Parrish had 18 points and Ohio State ended a three-game skid at home with an 82-65 victory over Iowa on Monday night.
Parrish scored 11 points in a dominant second half for the Buckeyes (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten Conference), who were coming off their biggest victory of the season — a 73-70 road win over then-No. 11 Purdue. He added six rebounds.
Bruce Thornton totaled 15 points and eight rebounds for Ohio State. Devin Royal finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. John Mobley Jr. scored 12 with eight assists.
Drew Thelwell scored 20 on 8-for-10 shooting with three 3-pointers to lead the Hawkeyes (13-8, 4-6), who have lost four of five. Owen Freeman had 14 points and eight rebounds. Seydou Traore and Payton Sandfort both scored 13. Sandfort made three 3-pointers, giving him 240 for his career and tying him with assistant coach Matt Gatens for third place on Iowa’s list.
Mobley and Parrish both scored seven to help Ohio State take a 30-26 lead into halftime. Thelwell and Freeman both scored 11 to keep Iowa close — accounting for nine of the Hawkeyes’ 11 first-half baskets. There were eight lead changes and three ties before the break.
Royal had a basket and a three-point play in an 11-3 run to begin the second half, upping the Buckeyes’ advantage to 12. Sandfort hit a 3-pointer to get Iowa within nine, but Thornton answered with a 3-pointer and Sean Stewart stole the ball and dunked to cap a 9-0 run for a 50-32 lead with 12:26 remaining.
Stewart’s layup gave Ohio State its largest lead at 62-39 with 8:49 left.
Ohio State plays at Penn State on Thursday. Iowa hosts No. 10 Purdue on Feb. 4.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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