CHICAGO (Interstat) — In a taut Big Ten Conference tournament clash defined by critical plays in the final minute, Bruce Thornton’s late-game heroics lifted Ohio State to a 72-69 victory over Iowa on Thursday afternoon at the United Center.

The game, a rematch of a Feb. 25 meeting won decisively by Iowa, delivered a tense, back-and-forth affair that came down to the final possession. Ohio State, which trailed by four points at halftime, used a second-half surge to build a lead and then held on through a frantic finish to improve its season record to 21-11. Iowa fell to 21-12.

Thornton, the Buckeyes’ standout guard from Fairburn, Georgia, was the catalyst, scoring a game-high 24 points. His most crucial sequence came with Ohio State clinging to a one-point lead in the final minute. After Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras tied the game at 70 with a 3-pointer, Thornton drove the lane on the ensuing possession. His layup attempt rolled off, but Amare Bynum secured the offensive rebound. Bynum’s put-back also missed, but John Mobley grabbed another offensive board and was fouled with 8 seconds remaining.

Mobley, a Reynoldsburg, Ohio native, calmly sank both free throws to put Ohio State ahead 72-70. Iowa, out of timeouts, rushed the ball upcourt. Isaia Howard’s potential game-tying 3-point attempt from the wing was off the mark as time expired, sealing the Buckeyes’ narrow escape.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the final 38 seconds, a microcosm of the entire contest’s physical, defensive intensity. With Ohio State leading 70-67, Iowa’ Bennett Stirtz was fouled on a drive and made both free throws to cut the deficit to one. On the next trip, Christoph Tilly’s layup attempt was emphatically blocked by Iowa’s Tavion Banks, leading to a fast break where Banks finished with a dunk to give Iowa a shocking 71-70 lead with 1:22 left, capping a 5-0 run.

Ohio State’s response set the stage for the final drama. After a missed jumper by Thornton, the Buckeyes’ relentless effort on the offensive glass produced two chances before Mobley drew the foul. That sequence, securing multiple opportunities under duress, proved to be the decisive moment.

The first half established a pattern of runs. Iowa opened quickly, with a 3-pointer from Banks and early scoring from Stirtz helping the Hawkeyes to an initial advantage. Ohio State, led by the interior presence of Berlin, Germany native Christoph Tilly, who scored 16 points, and the all-around play of Thornton, chipped away. A late layup by Thornton just before the halftime buzzer sent the Buckeyes to the locker room trailing just 34-30.

The second half saw Ohio State methodically seize control. Thornton’s scoring and playmaking, combined with timely 3-pointers from Mobley, who finished with 12 points, fueled a push that gave the Buckeyes their largest lead at 64-57 with just over six minutes to play. Iowa, demonstrating the resilience it has shown all season, refused to fade. Stirtz, a guard from Liberty, Missouri, led the Hawkeyes with 17 points and 4 assists, while Folgueiras, from Malaga, Spain, added 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, including the clutch late triple that briefly tied the game.

For Ohio State, Bynum provided valuable support with 11 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Iowa’s Cam Manyawu and Banks each contributed 9 points.

The game was a statistical battle, with both teams struggling to find consistent offensive rhythm against determined defenses. The outcome flipped the result from the teams’ regular-season meeting and continued Ohio State’s recent strong form, having now won four consecutive games. For Iowa, the narrow loss marked another heartbreaker in a season featuring several close defeats.

The Buckeyes advance in the Big Ten tournament, while Iowa now awaits its postseason fate.