After a gut-wrencher in Assembly Hall, the Iowa Hawkeyes return to action tonight as they host the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Iowa (12-9, 4-6 Big Ten) trailed by as many as 17 points in the late stages of the first half at Indiana, but the Hawkeyes cut the deficit to 11 at the break and then came storming back in the second half. Senior guard Tony Perkins and junior forward Payton Sandfort led the way as that duo combined for 48 points on 16-of-34 shooting.
Iowa built multiple second-half leads, including after Sandfort’s jump shot that put the Hawkeyes in front 68-66 with 1:42 remaining. But, the Hoosiers’ Gabe Cupps drilled a 3-pointer in response and Indiana closed on an 8-2 run.
Now, Iowa welcomes in Ohio State (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten). The Buckeyes are looking to snap a three-game skid that includes road losses at Nebraska(83-69) and Northwestern (83-58) and continued on Tuesday versus No. 14 Illinois (87-75).
The Hawkeyes have won three of the last five games against Ohio State, but they lost to the Buckeyes, 73-69, in the second round of last season’s Big Ten Tournament.
As tipoff approaches, here’s where Hawkeye fans can watch, stream and listen to tonight’s contest. Plus, probable starters for each and a look at the game notes.
How To Watch
Rich Janzaruk/Herald Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
- Date: Friday, Feb. 2
- Time: 6p.m. CT
- TV Channel:FS1
- Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
- Radio: Hawkeye Radio Network| Varsity Network
Broadcast Teams
Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch
FS1:Brandon Gaudin, play-by-play; LaPhonso Ellis, color analyst
Hawkeye Radio Network:Gary Dolphin, play-by-play; Bob Hansen, color analyst
Probable Iowa Starters
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
G, 6-4, Sr., Tony Perkins: 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals per game, 46.9% FG, 32.1% 3-point FG, 79.8% FT
F, 6-7, Jr., Payton Sandfort: 15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists per game, 46.4% FG, 39.5% 3-point FG, 90.7% FT
G, 6-5, Soph., Josh Dix:7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists per game, 53.6% FG, 45.2% 3-point FG, 88.5% FT
F, 6-9, Grad., Ben Krikke: 15.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists per game, 54.2% FG, 35.7% 3-point FG, 73.6% FT
F, 6-10, Fr., Owen Freeman:10.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.0 steals per game, 64.4% FG, 67.8% FT
Probable Ohio State Starters
(Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
G, 6-2, Soph., Bruce Thornton:15.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals per game, 40.9% FG, 31.9% 3-point FG, 82.5% FT
G, 6-4, Soph., Roddy Gayle Jr.:14.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists per game, 45.4% FG, 27.7% 3-point FG, 83.7% FT
F, 6-7, Grad., Jamison Battle:14.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists per game, 46.5% FG, 44.4% 3-point FG, 92.9% FT
G, 6-6, Soph., Evan Mahaffey:5.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals per game, 47.7% FG, 64.5% FT
C, 6-11, Soph., Felix Okpara:6.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 blocks per game, 60.0% FG, 59.3% FT
Series History
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
All-time Series History:Series tied, 84-84
Last Meeting:Ohio State 73, Iowa 69
Scouting the Buckeyes
(Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
- The Buckeyes have lost six of their last seven games to fall to 13-8 overall and 3-7 in Big Ten play. Ohio State is on a three-game losing streak with its last win coming at home over Penn State, 79-67, on Jan. 20.
- Ohio State, which opened the season winning 12 of its first 14 games, has lost its last three games by 14, 25 and 12 points. The Buckeyes are winless in true road games this season (0-5 record).
- Three Buckeyes are averaging in double figures with Bruce Thornton leading the way with a 15.7 scoring aver- age. The guard has a team-high 91 assists and 30 steals and has made a team-high 85 free throws. Thornton leads the league and ranks second nationally with a 4.33 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- Minnesota transfer Jamison Battle averages 14.1 points with 60 3-pointers (tied for first in B1G), while Roddy Gayle, Jr., scores 14.1 points per contest. Felix Okpara averages a team-best 6.9 rebounds to go along with 50 blocks, ranking in the top 10 nationally.
Postgame Notes vs. Indiana
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
- Iowa erased a 17-point (39-22) first half deficit and a 12-point deficit in the second half (44-32) to tie the game at 49 with 10:37 to play.There were seven ties and six lead changes in the game.
- The Hawkeyes trailed 39-28 at the half despite enduring a nearly eight-minute scoring drought (1-of-14 FG) in the first half.
- Indiana went on a 12-0 run midway through the half, turning a 19-15 lead to 31-15. Iowa trailed by as many as 17 (39-22).
- It is the Hawkeyes’ second game decided by seven or fewer points this season (0-2).
- Junior Payton Sandfort and senior Tony Perkins combined to score 48 of Iowa’s 68 points.
- Sandfort recorded his second straight 20 point game, finishing with 26 points on 7-of-16 shooting, including five 3-pointers. He also had a team-high eight rebounds.Sandfort scored 14 points with three 3-pointers in the first half (he scored 35 and made nine 3s over his last two halves (at Michigan, vs. Indiana).
- It is Sandfort’s fifth 20-point game this season and the 12th of his career.It is the second time in his career he has scored 20 or more in consecutive games.
- He has made five or more 3-pointers in four games this season, at least four in eight games and three or more in 12 contests.
- Tony Perkins had his fourth straight 20 point game, finishing with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting. He also had four rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
- The last Hawkeye to post four consecutive 20-point games was Keegan Murray in the 2021-22 season.
- It was Perkins’ ninth game with three or more steals.
- Sophom*ore Josh Dix scored 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting. It was his fourth game in double figures this season.
- The Hawkeyes shot a season-low 35.4 from the field and were out-rebounded, 45-32.
- Iowa finished the game with three turnovers – tied for the fewest turnovers in a game in the Fran McCaffery era.
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