COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball dropped the first of two games against ranked opponents this week with an 85-76 loss to Iowa Thursday night.
The loss came as no surprise, given that the Hawkeyes have lost one home game all season and feature a potential National Player of the Year in Luka Garza. The junior forward played to that standard once again with 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. He dominated the floor.
Meanwhile, Oho State’s big man Kaleb Wesson struggled with 10 points and seven rebounds on just 4-of-10 shooting. He recorded four fouls and spent the bulk of the final eight minutes on the bench as a spectator.
Trailing by nine, the Buckeyes had a chance to go on a run during a second-half stretch in which Iowa struggled to score. Instead, they missed 13 of their next 17 shots.
There is a silver lining. Losing to a superior opponent on their home floor shouldn’t affect OSU’s tournament chances, especially with more opportunities to get a needed quality win. Next up is No. 7 Maryland, the conference’s best team and National Championship contender.
The Terrapins won the first meeting in College Park 67-55, with the Buckeyes shooting just 31.3 percent. Ohio State has been a far more efficient offensive team at home, which has often energized their defense. That could help keep Anthony Cowan Jr. from shooting 12 free throws again.
A win over Iowa would have gone a long way for Ohio State. Now it must shift its focus to trying to continue its success at home against the best team the Big Ten has to offer.
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