Buckeyes hold off Hawkeyes

By BOB BAPTIST

IOWA CITY, Iowa — It was Evan Turner to the rescue again.

With an assist from Dallas Lauderdale.

Turner had three baskets and assisted on a fourth in a 10-6 run that gave Ohio State a two-point lead with 2:10 left, and the Buckeyes men’s basketball team held on for a tense 60-58 victory over Iowa on Tuesday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

After Turner’s pull-up jumper gave Ohio State a 60-58 lead, Iowa came up empty on four possessions on which it could have tied the score, taken the lead or won it.

Jermain Davis’ driving layup could have tied the score with 10 seconds left but was blocked by Lauderdale and rebounded by Jon Diebler.

The Hawkeyes’ last chance came after Turner missed the front end of a one-and-one with 5.2 seconds left. Davis’ three from the right wing just before the final horn rattled in and out.

Ohio State (19-9 overall, 9-8 Big Ten) won for just the second time in six games and stayed within striking distance of a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament next week. The Buckeyes, in sixth place, must get a No.4 or No.5 seed to receive a bye.

Turner led Ohio State with 22 points and a career-high nine assists.

Devan Bawinkel had 24 points for Iowa (14-16, 4-13). His eight 3-pointers were one off the school record.

Ohio State, opening the second half in a matchup zone after starting the game in man-to-man, gave up a pair of three-pointers in the first 90 seconds to fall behind 40-32.