Justice Sueing scored 14 points as No. 13 seed Ohio State upset No. 5 Iowa 73-69 in a second-round game of the Big Ten tournament in Chicago on Thursday.
Sueing made two free throws with 9.4 seconds left to ice the game.
The Buckeyes (15-18) play No. 4 seed Michigan State in the quarterfinals on Friday. The Spartans won both encounters this season: 62-41 on the road on Feb. 12 and an 84-78 home win on Sunday in the regular-season finale.
Roddy Gayle Jr.’s 3-pointer put the Buckeyes ahead for good, 64-61, with 3:17 to play. Sueing’s points from the line were the final ones of the game as the Hawkeyes missed two shots on their possession.
There were 18 lead changes and eight ties. Ohio State held the lead for 13:58; Iowa for 21:07.
Bruce Thornton led the Buckeyes with 17 points and Brice Sensabaugh added 16.
Filip Rebraca had 20 points and Kris Murray 17 for the Hawkeyes (19-13).
The game was back-and-forth with neither team able to gain more than a three-point lead from the 6:07 mark of the first half until a dunk by Payton Sandfort put Iowa up 55-51 with 8:59 to play.
At one point just prior to the midway point of the second half there were eight lead changes in a three-minute span.
Iowa could not take advantage of Ohio State’s fatigue. While the Hawkeyes had a first-round bye, the Buckeyes played Wednesday. They saw a 27-point lead turn into a late four-point margin before holding off Wisconsin 65-57.
The Buckeyes tipped off against Iowa 18 hours later.
The Buckeyes played a seventh straight game without their best all-around player in Zed Key, who was third in team scoring (10.8) and first in rebounding (7.5). He underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on March 1. His last game was the 92-75 loss at Iowa on Feb. 16.
–Field Level Media
