Starting to wonder if @ChrisHoltmann are you getting used to it? ?? pic.twitter.com/4DyCFxHlDt
– Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 5, 2021
The state of Ohio erased a double-digit deficit in the second half to beat Iowa, 89-85, on the road Thursday night, one of the Buckeyes’ biggest wins of the season. Head coach Chris Holtmann was cheated a little after the game, after the team waited to appear in the locker room after he entered.
The result? Pure joy after a victory that the Buckeyes will use as an impulse booster down the straight. The victory caught the attention of the national media and someone special.
“Elite coach and elite team! Go Bucks”, former Ohio State football coach Meyer Urbano tweeted after Thursday’s victory.
Buckeyes Guard Justin Ahrens Connected in three points in the final 4.5 minutes of action, great boosters for a team that remained within an attack distance throughout the second half thanks to a bunch of long-range kicks, despite losing 11 points in one.
Duane Washington, a 90 percent free-throw pitcher, hit 1 of 2 in the charity streak with 17 seconds remaining to prove the final count.
Ohio State guard Justin Ahrens scored 3 points in consecutive possession in the second half and drained another with just over two minutes left, his third set taking the Ohio State lead to seven points. The Buckeyes were on fire from a long distance and the perimeter attack kept the state of Ohio within an attack distance – even when they lost by 11 in the second half.
Notes after Thursday’s victory via Bucknuts:
* Search rankings: Ohio State, seventh in the Associated Press media poll, ninth in the USA Today coach poll; Iowa, eighth in the Coaches polls of the Associated Press and USA Today. The 7th position in the OSU AP survey is the highest on the team this season and the highest on the program since spending a week in 2nd position last season in December.
* Computer Ratings: Ohio State, 12th on NCAA NET Rankings, 10th on KenPom.com, 9th on Sagarin Rankings; Iowa, seventh on NCAA NET Rankings, fourth on KenPom.com, fifth on Sagarin Rankings. The strength ratings of OSU’s agenda are 26th on KenPom.com and 25th on Sagarin … and will only go up after this game.
* Next on the scoresheet: Buckeyes visit Maryland on Monday. The game will start at 9 pm and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. The Terrapins have improved to 10-8 overall and 4-7 on the Big Ten, with a home win over Purdue on Tuesday.
* Schedule update: The Ohio State home game against Indiana on Saturday, February 13, was scheduled to start at noon and will be broadcast on ESPN or ESPN2. The Sun., February 21, the home game with Michigan was scheduled to start at 1 pm and will be broadcast on CBS. OSU’s Sun., February 28, the home game with Iowa was scheduled for 4pm on CBS as well.
Bucknuts analyst Steve Helwagen contributed to this story.