No. 18 Ohio State (15-3, 6-1) overcame a 12-point second-half deficit to force overtime and upset No. 2 Iowa (18-2, 7-1) on Sunday, coming away with a 100-92 win behind a career-high 33 points from sophomore forward Cotie McMahon.
The Buckeyes welcomed a program-record crowd of 18,660 into Value City Arena for the victory in which they trailed 70-58 early in the fourth before outscoring the Hawkeyes 25-18 in the final frame to force overtime, eventually outscoring Iowa 17-9 in the extra period.
Ohio State fell to an early 6-2 deficit, but the most significant thing in the early minutes was that fifth-year guard Celeste Taylor – tasked as Iowa guard Caitlin Clark’s primary defender, given that Taylor is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year – picked up her second foul just 1:36 into the game, forcing her to the bench for the rest of the frame.
The Buckeyes fought back to make it 8-7, but Clark knocked down back-to-back three-pointers – with a triple from Ohio State forward Rebeka Mikulášiková in between – to give the Hawkeyes a 14-10 lead. Sophomore forward Cotie McMahon then started to take over for the Buckeyes, scoring seven of the team’s next 10 points as Ohio State took a 20-17 lead with 3:44 left in the quarter. Iowa then took off on a 9-4 run to close the frame, with the Buckeyes trailing just 26-24 entering the second quarter.
Junior guard Taylor Thierry scored from three to give Ohio State a 27-26 lead to begin the second, but the Hawkeyes responded with a 12-5 run to take a 38-32 lead with 5:43 left in the quarter, leading to a timeout from head coach Kevin McGuff. Out of the break, the Buckeyes responded with an 8-3 run – including two baskets by fifth-year guard Jacy Sheldon – to make it 41-40 with 2:26 left.
Iowa looked to take a significant lead into the half after a pair of free throws by Clark, but another triple from Sheldon with 51 seconds made it 45-43 at the half in favor of the Hawkeyes. Clark had 20 points in the first half, while McMahon reached 12 points.
Taylor picked up her third foul just 43 seconds into the second half but remained in the game, and scored Ohio State’s first points of the third quarter with a three-pointer to make it 48-46 with 8:57 left. Clark responded with a triple of her own, and after a layup by Mikulášiková, the teams combined for four turnovers, six missed shots and three fouls over the next two minutes before Iowa guard Molly Davis got Iowa back on the board, giving the Hawkeyes a 53-48 lead.
Sheldon scored the next two baskets for Ohio State to cut the deficit to 53-52, but the Hawkeyes – assisted by three misses by the Buckeyes – pushed their lead back up to 58-52 with 4:12 left in the quarter. The Buckeyes risked letting the game get away from them after Iowa made it 60-52, but back-to-back three-pointers from guard Emma Shumate after she checked into the contest made it 60-58 with 1:53 left, but the Hawkeyes scored the last five points of the quarter to lead 65-58.
But after being held without a basket since a three-pointer early in the third, Clark hit from deep to begin the fourth, and an ensuring layup by Davis pushed Iowa to a 70-58 lead with 8:55 left. Ohio State responded with a 7-2 run – with five points from McMahon – to cut the deficit to 72-65, forcing a timeout by the Hawkeyes. But the Buckeyes continued their momentum out of the break with back-to-back baskets by Sheldon to make it 72-69 with 6:28 remaining, though Davis hit back with a triple.
McMahon then continued her strong game with a personal 6-1 run to make it 76-75, and after a pair of misses at the line by Iowa forward Hannah Stuelke, a layup by Taylor gave Ohio State a 77-76 lead with 3:42 remaining. Clark then scored back-to-back baskets and later connected on a pair at the line to put the Hawkeyes up 82-79 with 1:21 left, and McGuff called another timeout.
Out of the break, McMahon missed but got her own rebound and the second-chance basket, and after a stop on the other end, Taylor hit a jumper to give the Buckeyes an 83-82 lead with just 16 seconds remaining. On Iowa’s ensuing possession, the Hawkeyes made it to the line but Stuelke hit just one, and Sheldon missed on the other end as the game went to overtime.
Ohio State struck first in the extra period with a layup and free throw by McMahon to lead 86-83 with 3:25 left. After a basket by Clark on the other end, McMahon responded with a successful and-one, and after another triple from Clark, Sheldon again answered to maintain a 91-88 lead with 2:00 remaining, and Mikulášiková then hit from deep to go up 94-88 with 1:14 remaining.
Thierry fouled out on the other end, resulting in a pair of makes for Clark, but McMahon again responded with a hard drive to maintain a 96-90 lead with just 43 seconds remaining, resulting in an Iowa timeout. The Hawkeyes began fouling, and Sheldon closed the win out with four made free throws in the final 30 seconds.
Ohio State was led by McMahon’s 33 points on 12-of-23 shooting, while Sheldon added 24 points. Clark led the Hawkeyes with 45 points. The Buckeyes were 11 of 22 from deep.
Ohio State will return to the floor Thursday, set to travel to Illinois for a 7 p.m. tip on Peacock.
